China has just sent a total of 200 high-end buses that are capable to automatically disinfecting its interior to the country of Cyprus. The buses, produced by China's largest commercial bus manufacturer Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Company were loaded into container ships at a port in the city of Xiamen, in China's Fujian Province, on Wednesday.
The shipment of the specially equipped buses is the largest batch ever delivered to a European country by a Chinese company. Xiamen King Long executive, Zhao Yutong, stated that the buses will be put into service in the city of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. The company sent two types of buses, both equipped with a special system that automatically sprays disinfecting and sterilizing agents to the interior of the vehicle, killing any viruses and bacteria.
Xiamen King Long stated that the buses were custom-made to meet the unique demand influenced by the coronavirus pandemic. The system integrated into the buses was uniquely developed to further ensure the safety of end-users and to give governments and operators the capability of enhancing their control protocols to mitigate the spread of the disease.
Since the Xiamen-based bus manufacturer was able to resume its production operations in mid-February, it has so far exported more than 5,000 of the specialized buses to markets such as Egypt, Chile, and Saudi Arabia. Last month, the company revealed that it was able to sell a total of 5,148 vehicles both domestically and internationally. This was a 16.6 percent increase when compared to the same period last year.
Similar to other Chinese manufacturers, the closure of its manufacturing plants during the first months of this year had affected its overall sales. From January to April, the company managed to sell a total of 13,082 vehicles, representing a 14.1 percent year-on-year decrease.
Xiamen King Long, which was founded in 1988, is one of China's largest manufacturers and distributors of coaches and light vans. The company was originally a joint venture between Xiamen Automotive Industry Corporation and state-owned Assets Investment Co, Ltd, and San Yang Industry Co. Xiamen Automotive Industry owns a 50 percent stake of the company while the other two firms own a 25 percent stake each.
Through its subsidiaries, the company has managed to diversify its portfolio with investments made in import and export trading and real estate development. As of 2008, the company was estimated to have had an 18 percent share of China's export market.
