Summary: Chinese bus market in the first four months of 2013

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai) - Buses remained one of the fastest growing commercial vehicle segments in China, with a total of 140,200 buses sold in the country from January to April. That sales figure is equivalent to year-on-year growth of 10.9 percent, far above the industry average rate of 2.4 percent. The increase of school buses and improving public transit were cited as two major factors behind the strong growth rate the segment experienced during the four month period.

"Due to more stable macroeconomic [conditions] and the increasing rate of urbanization, the bus industry is expected to achieve growth of eight percent to ten percent this year," stated Yu Zhenqing, deputy head of the bus division at the China Highway and Transportation Society.

Both the overall light bus and large bus segments experienced positive year-on-year sales growth from January to April, with the light bus segment's sales increasing nearly 15 percent. Sales of medium buses fell slightly during the same time period.

As in the past, light buses continued to make up the majority of Chinese bus sales. 72.2 percent of the Chinese bus sales made in the four month period from January to April were of light buses, up 2.4 percent from the previous year. Worth pointing out, however, is that light bus sales experienced negative year-on-year growth over the first four months of 2012.

The Zhengzhou Yutong Group was the leading large bus manufacturer for the January to April time period, followed by Suzhou's Higer, King Long, Xiamen's Golden Dragon, ZhongTong, the Volvo-partnered Sunwin, Anhui's Ankai Automobile, Youngman Automobile Group, Beiqi Foton and Huanghai Bus.

Among them, Golden Dragon's sales performance was very impressive, with sales over doubling from the same time period last year. Sunwin's sales also increased a respectable 44.6 percent. Yutong, ZhongTong and Huanghai also posted double-digit year-on-year growth rates. On the other end of the spectrum, Higer, King Long and Foton reported negative year-on-year growth rates of 13.4 percent, 14.7 percent and 23.3 percent, respectively.

Yutong also led the medium bus segment for the four month period, followed by Higer, FAW Toyota, King Long, Ankai, Golden Dragon, Dongfeng Motor, ZhongTong, Foton and Shaolin Auto. Yutong's medium bus sales were nearly triple the amount second-place entry Higer reported selling.

FAW Toyota's sales result was equivalent to year-on-year growth of 52.6 percent, the highest rate among medium bus manufacturers. Shaolin's sales growth rate of 32.7 percent was also respectable, while Golden Dragon and Foton also reporting increases in their medium bus sales. However, the majority of medium bus manufacturers suffered negative growth over the time period, with King Long and Dongfeng seeing their sales fall 18.6 percent and 16.3 percent, respectively.

Shenyang-based Jinbei remained the most successful light bus manufacturer for the time period, followed by Jiangling Motors (JMC), Nanjing Automobile (NAC), Beiqi Foton, King Long, Golden Dragon, SAIC Commercial Vehicle, Higer, Dongfeng and Jianghuai Automobile (JAC).

Combined, Jinbei, JMC, NAC and Foton accounted for 74.1 percent of all the light bus sales made from January to April. Among them, NAC was the only manufacturer whose light bus sales decreased. On the other end of the spectrum, Foton's sales increased over 41 percent.