Scania in new partnership with Chinese bus bodybuilder

In the presence of Sweden’s prime minister and China’s president, Scania and the Chinese company Jiangsu Alfa Bus today signed an agreement to collaborate in production and marketing of buses. As a first step, Scania will deliver 25 articulated bus chassis for bodyworking by Alfa Bus.

“This is an agreement in line with Scania’s strategy of entering into partnerships that clearly define the responsibilities and obligations of the parties,” says Mats Harborn, Managing Director of Scania China.

Alfa Bus is a privately owned company based in Jiangsu province that manufactures buses for urban traffic as well as tourist and express coaches. With backing from Scania, the company will also be responsible for marketing the Scania buses it produces.

“By partnering with Alfa Bus, we will gain increased opportunities to show the Chinese market what Scania stands for in terms of reliability, passenger comfort and low environmental impact,” Mr Harborn says.

The collaboration will begin with delivery of 25 three-axle low floor articulated bus chassis, equipped with Scania’s 9-litre engine employing exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technology to meet Euro 4 emission standards without aftertreatment. The buses are intended for service in cities with so-called Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) systems.

“The market for BRT buses is growing rapidly. Nearly a hundred Chinese cities have already decided to introduce this system,” says the head of Scania’s operations in China.

Witnessing Sunday’s contract signing between Scania and Alfa Bus, in addition to China’s President Hu Jintao and Sweden’s Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, were also Sweden’s Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Minister for Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson.

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