Brief Analysis of Sales of New Energy Buses in China in Jan.-Jul. 2010 Ⅰ

www.chinabuses.org:

The market demand on new energy buses remains 1500～2000 units in 2007-2008. The production and sales volume is 4911 units and 4771 units respectively in 2009. The sales of large and medium new energy buses takes over 90% of the total. Though year-on-year comparison, the sales proportion of light buses and medium buses turn on the trend of decreasing while large buses increase.

In Jan.-Jul. 2010, the sales volume of new energy buses is 3819, accounting for more than 98% of the total new energy vehicles. It sells 39 new energy trucks, mainly powered by natural gas. Large and medium buses are still the main for the commercialization of new energy vehicles because of frequent starting/stopping, low requirement of speed and government policy promotion. It is no doubt that new energy buses will be our focus and key points for our automobile manufacturing companies in the future due to the pressure of energy as well as environment-protection.

 Table：Sales of new energy buses in the first seven months from 2007 to 2010

Chart: Sales trend of new energy buses in the first seven months 2010

Structure characteristics of sales of new energy buses shown above,

a. The sales growth of new energy buses is big each year.

b. The biggest growth shows at large-sized coaches, that is to say, the new energy buses with more than 10-meter is the focus in the market.

c. In proportion, biggest in large coaches, and then medium, light buses.

Analysis of reasons for the characteristics

a. Market demand on new energy buses increase from 857 units in Jan.-Jul. 2007 to 3697 units, promoted by national policies.

b. China has made sure the subsidy standard for new energy buses, according to differential price to conventional buses, scale effect and technology advancement.

Table : subsidy standard for city buses with longer than 10-meter (Unit: thousand Yuan/unit)

The subsidy for large buses is obviously higher than medium and light ones due to technology and the price difference to conventional vehicles, affecting the actual sales achievements.

Development Analysis of New Energy Bus Builders in Jan.-Jul. 2010

There have been at least 35 bus builders referring to the development of new energy vehicles as followed:

1. FAW

a. There have been 162 Jiefang hybrid power (fuel-electric) city buses in operation in Dalian and 50 gas-electric units in Changchun. It has realized the hybrid power technology advancement from weak to strong. 

b. Jiefang J5P tractor applies CA6SL2-30E3N engine (displacement: 8.6L; rated power: 231kw; max. torque: 1100N/m), hybrid power chassis equipped with BF4M2012-14E4 engine, lithium battery, dual-motor strong hybrid power system, SCR system. J5M electric sprinkler is supplied with rated power of 130kw and max torque of 774 N/m.

c. On 12 June, FAW Bus and Coach (Wuxi) Co.Ltd signed cooperation agreement with Zhuhai Yintong for foundation of new energy bus assembly base.

2. Dongfeng Group

a. In the midmonth of April, Project Dongfeng New Energy Vehicle started in Xiangfan with the total investment of 1.65 billion Yuan, mainly referring to electric buses and hybrid power buses. In 2014, the production capacity of 10,000 buses and 20,000 chassis and the output value of 17 billion Yuan will be formed.

b. It currently has developed 12 types of electric vehicles including buses, pick-ups, MPV, SUV, trucks and minibuses. It plans to realize production and sales of 8500 units in 2012 and 20000 units in 2014, including 1450 new energy buses.

3. Beiqi Foton

a. It plans to sell 10,000 new energy vehicles and will invest 3.78 billion Yuan. By 2015, new energy vehicles accounts for about 15% of total.

b. On 5 February, it has signed purchasing agreement for 300 buses with Beijing Public Transport Group.

c. On 8 June, it laid foundation of automobile factory in Weifang, which is related with production capacity of 300,000 complete vehicles and total investment of 4.5 billion Yuan.

4 SAIC Group

It established Shanghai Advanced Traction Battery Systems Co. Ltd with American A123 with shares of 51：49, developing, producing and selling power battery system as well as offering after-sales service.
The independently developed low carbon hybrid power light buses serve Shanghai World Expo (max. speed: 100km/h; driving range up to 200km and 4 hours’ recharging).  

5 Yutong Bus

a. It set up new energy product department in charge of the development of vehicle control system and battery management system. At present it has developed about 10 kinds of new energy buses.

b. It launched 10-meter electric ZK6100EGAA for tourism, fuel cell ZK6125EGAA and 18-meter ZK6180MGQA9 BRT bus.

c. At the beginning of 2010, it won the bidding of 13 hybrid power buses from Kunming and 60 units from Hangzhou.

6 King Long Bus

On 11 January, it signed the order with Xiamen Public Transport Company for 300 natural gas buses.
It exported natural gas buses to Chile, which are equipped with imported Cummins engine (Euro Ⅴ) and sold new energy buses to domestic cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Hangzhou and Guangzhou and overseas markets such as Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Peru and Chile.
It offers 6 special vehicles for Xiamen Pavilion.

7 Golden Dragon

It has stepped into the development of the fourth generation of hybrid power buses and mastered various technologies such as motor, controller and matching optimization of vehicle control. The independently developed hybrid power models with super-capacitor have been operated in Beijing and Kunming for test and Hangzhou for commercialization.

8 Hengtong Bus

a. It launched 50 new energy city buses in Chongqing in June, 20 units in July and August with application of parallel hybrid power and iron-phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries.

b. It is developing electric buses and possibly will issue sample in August.