Mainland China sells first hybrid buses to Taiwan

Beiqi Foton Motor Co., China's biggest commercial-vehicle maker, officially signed a sales agreement for 75 Euro V hybrid passenger buses with Taiwan Master Transportation Bus Manufacturing Ltd on June 20.

It is the first time the Chinese mainland auto manufacturer has sold new energy vehicles to the Taiwan market.

In January 2008, 30 Euro V hybrid passenger buses made by Foton Motor were formally delivered to Guangzhou No. 1 Bus Company, the first batch of new energy vehicles to be commercialized in the Chinese mainland market.

According to Zhang Weixiong, the chairman of Guangzhou No. 1 Bus Company, during one year of service, the operating rate of these buses reached 98 percent and the fuel saving rate exceeded 25 percent. A single bus can save almost 90,000 yuan ($1,3177) a year in operating expenses, cutting costs by 700,000 yuan in its 8-year standard service lifetime and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by over 27 tons compared with traditional buses.

Foton Motor has now established Chinese mainland's first new energy vehicle industrial base and the first new energy vehicle industry alliance.