German Media: Chinese Electric Buses are Capturing the European Market
Despite concerns about infrastructure security risks, Chinese electric bus manufacturers continue to win market share in European countries such as Germany, Austria, and Belgium, especially in urban public transportation.
In some cities in Europe, people will see more and more Chinese-made buses on the streets. With the shift of European public transport to new energy vehicles, Chinese electric buses have won the favor of customers with their low prices and reliable quality.
Horst Bottenschein, general manager of Botenschein Tourism Company in Germany, said in an interview with Nikkei News that BYD buses have a price advantage and are "much cheaper" than European models. Moreover, their battery performance is also more reliable.
Other operators also stated that BYD buses are about 100,000 euros cheaper than MAN or Mercedes buses, which usually cost around 600,000 euros. A manager of a transportation company in Rhineland-Palatinate said that the tests of Yutong buses were very successful. This Chinese company is likely to win the upcoming tender.
A report by consulting firm McKinsey stated that the market share of zero-emission buses made in China in Europe reached 21% in 2024. BYD and Yutong accounted for most of the sales. The brand awareness of Chinese buses is also high: half of the operators are familiar with well-known Chinese bus brands.
German public transport companies must quickly update their fleets, because starting from 2030, diesel buses will no longer be allowed to operate in cities, except for a few exceptions.
Last December, in a bus order announced by German Railways (DB), it included an order of approximately 200 electric intercity buses from BYD. These buses will be produced at BYD's factory in Hungary. According to Der Spiegel, DB first ordered electric buses from BYD in 2021. The German media Wirtschaftswoche reported that DB chose BYD this time because of its affordable price ("best offer").
However, this decision has raised concerns about safety risks. Several German politicians, including Finance Minister Klinsbeil, have criticized it. They emphasized that the safety of key transportation infrastructure must be ensured, ensuring that buses cannot be remotely controlled. Previously, the main transportation operator Ruter in Norway tested the safety of Chinese buses and found that Yutong vehicles could be remotely controlled and data transmitted to China, thus theoretically posing a risk of being "shut down with one click".
Nevertheless, Chinese manufacturers are rapidly capturing the market in Belgium and Austria. Belgian transportation company De Lijn has ordered 500 buses from BYD. The public transport operator Albus in Salzburg, Austria, chose to purchase 34 electric buses from Yutong.
According to BYD, its buses have been operating in 20 countries and 100 major cities across Europe.
In addition to electric buses, two Chinese electric commercial vehicle manufacturers have also announced plans to operate in Europe: the Chinese electric truck manufacturer Windrose plans to import truck parts from China and assemble them locally in Antwerp, Belgium. The assembled vehicles will be exported to other European markets. Meanwhile, automobile manufacturer Chery plans to establish the European headquarters of its commercial vehicle division in Liverpool. The company plans to focus its main business at the Liverpool headquarters on research and development. Chery already has a research and development center in Raunheim, Germany, whose area will be expanded from about 1,100 square meters to more than 2,000 square meters.
Source: DW
Original: toutiao.com/article/1856252269255744/
Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author himself.