Chapter 7: Buses of China - Part I: Changzhou Changjiang, Jiangsu Flxible and Sui King Eagle
by John VeerkampThe population of China represents one sixth of the world population and thus is an enormous user of public transport. A recent increase in economic activity and opening up of the country has meant an increase in private transport on one hand, but also an increasing demand on public transport as more and more people are drawn into an upward spiral of economic development. There also is an increasing demand for quality long distance transport, while, though still limited, opportunities for private operators on the huge Chinese market have drawn interest of private investors.
Until recently the Chinese market for buses was catered for by a number of large state owned companies, producing large numbers of standardized, fairly basic vehicles. These included city buses, rural buses and long distance buses. Many buses in China use alternative fuels, such as LPG and low-pressure natural gas. Trolleybuses are also a common sight in many cities. Examples of bus builders are: GZ-Guangzhou Bus, Shanghai, Hua Xin, Golden, Yaxing, Jin Bei, SRKC, Huanghai, Dongfeng, Zhujiang, King Long, Jingtong, Feichi, Wanza, Sui King-Eagle, and Changzhou Changjing. As already mentioned, local buses tend to be fairly standardized and sometimes the same model is produced by different factories, making it difficult at times to distinguish between models.
During the 1990's several foreign bus builders entered into license and technical assistance agreements with Chinese companies, trying to enter this potentially very lucrative market. Flxible from the US started working with Changzhou Changjing, Volvo (Sweden) started production in 1994 in Xian, Neoplan Norinco (Germany) was established around this time, Setra-Fehei (Germany) began in 1995, Irizar-Tianjin (Spain) was established in 1995, and BOVA (Netherlands) signed an agreement with Zhongtong Bus in 2000. Even though Flxible has disappeared from the US scene, its parent company GAC (General Automotive Company) continues with the Chinese adventure. While Flxible builds a range of local bus types, the various European bus builders have concentrated so far on the long distance coach market.
In addition, second hand and new foreign buses started entering China. The city of Canton was the focus of secondhand city bus imports around 1995, including ex Pittsburgh Neoplan AN440, ex Berlin MAN double deckers, and various ex Hong Kong Leyland double deckers. These, however, disappeared quickly and in 1999 only locally built buses could be seen on the city services. Still present though are various new and secondhand coaches from Japan and South Korea (Isuzu, Hino, Hyundai, Daewoo), secondhand MCI from the US and new coaches from some rather unexpected places, such as Berkhof and Smit from the Netherlands.
With various developments going on concurrently, China promises to remain an interesting place for the bus
enthusiast. In this and future updates an impression will be given of Chinese built buses and coaches. This
update deals with the Chinese Flxible and its partner the Guangzhou Changjing Bus Group, to which apparently
also CFAC belongs, and with
While most European manufacturers took their own design and adapted it somewhat to local conditions, Flxible has used a different approach and is producing buses that only show a remote resemblance to the US Flxibles, though one range has the typical Flxible Metro windscreen. In addition to these, various other bus and coach models are produced in the same factory, some branded as Flxible, some only as Guangzhou Changjing or CFAC, or a combination of those. An interesting development was the double decker, produced so far for two clients to slightly different designs. The most well known are the ones used in Shenzen, across the border from Hong Kong, on a tourist service from the border to several theme parks and tourist attractions.
Eagle buses have nothing in common with the famous Trailways Eagle coaches. They are relatively modern city buses in normal and air-conditioned versions that can be seen with Guangzhou Number 1 and Number 2 bus companies. Presumably produced by the same factory is the Sui King Eagle coach. This modern vehicle can compete with the various imported designs and some have been sold to the very demanding Hong Kong market.
View Guangzhou Bus, Guizhu Bus Factory and Guilin-Daewoo Photographs
(Originally Featured 01-March-2001)
