中国最大的巴士制造商本周将宣布与英国公交和铁路运营商Arriva建立合作关系，这是中国汽车制造商进入欧洲的首个重大举措。
预计中国大中型客车制造商金龙汽车(King Long)将于周三宣布与Arriva合作——金龙首先将向后者的马耳他业务交付200辆巴士。
此举突显出中国工业企业如何从生产廉价的低成本产品转向更高级的技术，以进入欧洲和其它发达市场。
它可能预示着中国汽车制造商在数年前吸引欧洲顾客失败后，再次致力于打入欧洲市场。
总部位于厦门的金龙汽车2009年收入达到7.35亿美元，销售巴士15344辆。金龙5年前进入欧洲市场，是唯一在欧洲市场有些地盘的中国巴士制造商。今年上半年，在推出专门迎合欧洲客户需求的多款车型之后，金龙向欧洲出口了近100辆巴士，
Arriva是欧洲最大的交通集团之一，在13个国家拥有公交和铁路业务。今年4月，Arriva被德国铁路运营商德国铁路公司(Deutsche Bahn)以15亿英镑（合23亿美元）收购。
金龙副总经理朱国强(Samuel Zhu)承认，该集团的产品"仍落后于欧洲知名的巴士和大巴品牌"，但他补充称，公司正在"学习和改进"。
然而，一些分析师对中国汽车制造商在欧洲的前景感到怀疑。
咨询集团AlixPartners的伊沃•瑙曼(Ivo Naumann)表示，技术差距仍过大。
译者/何黎
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001034723
China's largest bus maker will this week announce a partnership with Arriva, the UK-based bus and rail operator, in the first big push by a Chinese vehicle producer into Europe.
King Long, the Chinese bus and coach manufacturer, is expected to announce an alliance with Arriva on Wednesday which will start with the delivery of 200 buses to the transport group's Malta operations.
The move underlines how large Chinese industrial companies are moving from producing cheap and low-cost products to more sophisticated technology in a bid to enter European and other developed markets.
It could presage further forays by the country's vehicle manufacturers into a continent, where attempts by Chinese carmakers to lure European customers a few years ago fell flat.
King Long, which is based in Xiamen, had revenues of $735m in 2009 and sold 15,344 buses. The group entered the European market five years ago and is the only Chinese bus maker with any notable presence. In the first half of this year, it exported nearly 100 buses to Europe, after launching several models that specifically cater to the needs of European customers.
Arriva, which was taken over by Deutsche Bahn, the German rail operator for £1.5bn ($2.3bn) in April, is one of Europe's largest transport groups with bus and rail operations in 13 countries.
Samuel Zhu, King Long's deputy general manager, admitted that the group's products "are still behind the well-known bus and coach brands in Europe" but added that the company was "learning and improving".
Some analysts are nevertheless sceptical about the prospects for Chinese vehicle makers in Europe.
Ivo Naumann of Alix Partners, the advisory group, says the technology gap is too large.
没有评论:
发表评论