Government backing has helped Golden Dragon develop its range of energy-saving and new energy buses
CHINA Peng Dongqing, Deputy General Manager of Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Co says has personally witnessed the ups and downs of the development of its ‘new energy buses’.
According to Mr Peng, the company started research & development of new energy buses in 2002. In the face of a number of challenges, such as technological backwardness and low degree of customer trustworthiness, Golden Dragon is determined to develop its own eco-friendly vehicles on the back of governments’ constant supports.
For the past 12 years, Golden Dragon has accumulated rich experience in the development and application of some key new energy technologies, such as the battery, driveline and control systems, which all have helped the company build its overall competitiveness in this promising area.
In the new round of the development of electrically powered vehicles, Golden Dragon says it’s the first to introduce the double electric power source, namely the super-capacitor plus lithium battery. The new power mode successfully solves the power shortage which tends to occur on congested urban roads. The maturing new technology has become increasingly reliable, which has laid a solid foundation for the further development of Golden Dragon’s new energy bus business.
From hybrid buses, to plug-in buses, then to electrics, China’s new energy bus industry has been grown gradually but with a steady forward pace. Without government financial supports, it would not have been possible top make such progress.
“Thanks to our governments’ strong emphasis on the promotion of new energy vehicles, we have been enjoying a very friendly growing environment and thus have been able to concentrate on technological research and development as well as market exploration,” said Mr Peng.
While honing its technological competitiveness, Golden Dragon has been sparing no efforts in boosting its customers’ confidence in eco-friendly vehicles. In Mr. Peng’s opinion, China’s bus makers should make more efforts to transform their business operation mode and change their customers’ mindset. Currently, it is quite true that quite a large number of customers still have very little understanding of electrically powered vehicles.
To popularize new energy vehicles, bus makers need to be more innovative in their marketing strategies and help customers fully understand the overall strengths of new energy vehicles in terms of key technologies, overall performances, manufacturing technologies and driving experiences.
Golden Dragon has sold over 3,000 energy-saving and new energy buses, which are now operating in Finland, Netherlands, Norway and other developed countries as well as over 26 cities across China, including Haikou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, Hangzhou, Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Harbin, and Kunming.
