Financial Watch: China-made passenger cars accelerate "drive" into Europe

Europeans, already accustomed to using Chinese-made mobile phones and household appliances, are choosing to take Chinese-made buses as urban transport. Numerous orders from countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria have allowed Chinese-made passenger cars to speed up their entry into the European market.

Since the UK bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis (ADL) Co., Ltd. had obtained orders from the London Transport Authority in 2015, the BYD Electric bus of Chinese car companies has continuously obtained orders from Liverpool, Nottingham and other places. In 2016, 110 buses from Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. in China replaced old buses in the area and became a beautiful streetscape on the streets of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.

The Chinese-made buses are favored by European users and passengers because of their fashionable appearance, excellent quality and moderate price. John Traynor, general manager of Go-Ahead London, the old British bus operator, said that in 2015, the company ordered 51 electric buses jointly manufactured by BYD and ADL to operate in central London. The buses are currently in service for 11 months and the operation experience is very good. The company has recently ordered 47 vehicles.

Monof, general manager of the Sofia Public Transport Corporation, described the "very high cost performance" of Chinese buses and met the requirements of economy, safety and comfort. Currently, 110 buses from Yutong buses have been put into use in eight lines in Sofia.

High technological content and convenient after-sales service are another important reason why Chinese passenger cars have won European orders. Trena said that BYD's electric vehicle technology combined with ADL's body provides Britain with a reliable high-quality passenger car.

Dimitrov, a maintenance engineer at the bus stop in Sofia Malashevci, said that the bus brake system made in China is very stable, and the intimate design of the automatic anti-roll system and air-conditioning system is very satisfying for Bulgarian passengers, and the daily maintenance and repair of passenger cars. The cost is not high. Dimov, a local bus driver who has been driving for 20 years, raised a thumbs-up and told reporters that Chinese buses are "very good!"

The zero-emission environmental protection technology has passed strict European environmental protection standards and has obtained a green pass for Chinese passenger cars traveling in Europe. Trena stressed that the operating costs of China-made electric buses are much lower than those of diesel vehicles and they do not include emissions. In fact, it consumes even less power than BYD predicted.

Another user of BYD electric bus, Tim Jackson, chief executive of the British branch of the multinational bus operator Paris Mass Transportation, said that after a rigorous inspection, they chose BYD's products as electric buses operating in London, because It will help the company achieve its social commitment to save energy and zero emissions.

He Yipeng, general manager of BYD Europe, said that as of today, BYD has received 201 pure electric bus orders in the UK. BYD's electric buses account for 70% of London's electric buses, and 43% in the UK. The data shows that BYD new energy vehicles have been exported to more than 200 cities in more than 50 countries around the world.

Chinese-made new energy buses have also won the trust of more and more European and global customers while realizing that products, technologies, standards and services are synergistic to go abroad. The rapid development of China's auto manufacturers in areas such as new energy and intelligent network networking is changing the global electric vehicle market pattern. The Chinese auto industry is also striving to achieve the transition from “big” to “strong”.