2017年CRI Chinese bus manufacturer dominates in Venezuela, Kuwait

 

Yutong bus in Venezuela [Photo: Yutong.com]

A leading Chinese bus manufacturer Yutong is being singled out for its ability to carve out a niche¹ in Venezuela, as well as in some parts of the Middle East.

Zhengzhou-based Yutong first entered the Venezuelan market in 2012, with the company later setting up an assembly plant in 2015 as part of its expansion plans.

Yutong now controls around 95 percent of the market share for new buses in Venezuela.

One of Yutong's managers in Venezuela Xun Chunhui admitted they initally struggled to gain acceptance, and they had to prove themselves through the quality of their buses.

"We decided² to develop a strategy which focuses on the demands of our clients, rather than just comparing advantages with our competitors directly. We wanted to prove our superiority through our ability to adapt, and this approach helped lead us into a breakthrough in the market," said Xun.

Yutong's bus assembly plant in western Venezuela is a 675-million US dollar venture.

It employs around 1,000 people, who are churning out around 3,500 buses a year.

Ma Weizhong, one of the managers at the assembly plant, said the buses they are producing in Venezuela are different from Yutong buses found on the road in China.

"These modules³ are mainly to fulfill⁴ the special requirements for Venezuelans, such as wider seats, thicker cushions, and extra room for the seats because the local people are bigger in stature," said Ma.

Yutong is also starting to make headway in other parts of the world.

The company claims it now controls around three-quarters of the new bus market in Kuwait, with a special focus on air-conditioning systems to help passengers and drivers cope with the stifling⁵ heat.

"Now this bus is better, the air-conditioning is very good, maybe it's 50 degrees in temperature, this air-conditioning is working good, all passengers are comfortable," said a driver at the City Bus company in Kuwait City.

Yutong started out as a bus repair company based in Zhengzhou in 1963, and moved into producing buses in 1985.

It has since become one of the largest producers of commercial buses in Asia.

1 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 modules   

n.模块( module的名词复数 )；单元；（宇宙飞船上各个独立的）舱；组件

参考例句：

• The course consists of ten core modules and five optional modules. 这门课程包括十个必修单元和五个选修单元。
• Our English course is divided into modules on poetry, drama, and novels. 我们的英语课分为诗歌、戏剧和小说等单元。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

5 stifling   

a.令人窒息的

参考例句：

• The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。
• We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。