Henan bus company thriving in Central Asia

Yutong Bus Co, a leading Chinese bus manufacturer headquartered in Zhengzhou, Henan province, is expected to have its new batch of buses for the Central Asian market officially come off the production line this month, marking new progress in Yutong's deep integration into the Central Asian market.

Since the beginning of this year, Yutong has won multiple project orders in Central Asia, including 700 fuel buses for Turkmenistan and 200 new energy buses for Uzbekistan, as well as 95 natural gas buses, 57 vans and 15 coaches for Kyrgyzstan, which constitute the country's largest comprehensive export order in the region in the first half of the year.

"Currently, we've sold more than 10,000 units in Central Asia, including nearly 1,000 new energy vehicles," said Li Haifeng, CEO of Yutong Bus Central Asia. "Relying on our advantages in new energy technologies and localized service capabilities, Yutong Bus has been increasingly welcomed in the Central Asian market."

Yutong entered the Kazakhstan market in 2005 and has since sold over 7,700 large and medium-sized buses to the country, including traditional fuel vehicles, natural gas buses and battery electric buses.

"With our products, which include energy-efficient and environmentally friendly public buses, school buses and customized mobile medical vehicles in remote areas, we are committed to leading the local green transportation upgrade and enhancing public travel safety," said Miao Yuan, country manager of Yutong Bus in Kazakhstan.

At the end of 2019, Yutong successfully exported 100 battery electric buses to Kazakhstan's capital Astana — known as the second-coldest capital in the world — and put them into operation. This marked the Central Asian country's first large-scale purchase of battery electric buses.

To ensure functionality in colder weather, the buses were outfitted with appropriately designed insulation for their bodies and battery compartments and independent heating systems, enabling them to travel over 300 kilometers on a single charge, according to Miao.

In Kazakhstan, Yutong Bus has one wholly-owned self-operated station, 12 authorized service stations and one warehouse for parts, forming a network centered around Almaty, the country's largest city, to provide transportation services and training to major cities.

"With strict quality standards, comprehensive after-sales service and timely parts supply, the Yutong Bus has gradually gained recognition from the local market and customers," said Zhou Ruipeng, director of the international service department of Yutong Bus.

According to Zhou, Yutong has deployed a professional service team of 70 skilled personnel in the Central Asian market to deliver rapid and efficient customer response and technical support.

As a prime example of Yutong Bus' partnership with Kazakhstan, the QazTehna factory was officially put into operation in Saran in 2021.

Miao mentioned that every year, the facility manufactures 2,000 Yutong buses and 200 engineering machinery units, generating over 5,000 job opportunities.

Apart from Kazakhstan, Yutong Bus has also made remarkable sales progress in other Central Asian countries.

Last year, the government of Turkmenistan planned to replace its buses in the capital, Ashgabat. Leveraging its strong reputation in the local market, Yutong Bus successfully secured the largest bus procurement order in the country to date, consisting of 700 Yutong buses. The construction of Yutong's service stations in Turkmenistan is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

In Kyrgyzstan, Yutong Bus exports products such as public transportation buses, coach buses, airport shuttle buses and light commercial vehicles.