Four separate Chinese OEMs have selected a plug-in hybrid drivetrain made by Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. (EDI) to integrate into their 8- and 12-meter buses. EDI will supply its EDI PowerDrive 6000 system, along with the EDI PowerSuite vehicle control software, to Shaanxi Automotive; Ankai; Xiamen Jinlong; and Yaxing Motors.

Government regulations in China are driving the electrification of vehicle platforms, and bus OEMs are looking for partners to help them rapidly comply with mandates. The OEMs’ selection of EDI follows the company’s recent delivery of 40 bus drivetrains built on the Yaxing Motors platform to the city of Jiangsu Sheyang.

EDI continues to expand commercial bus deployments to territories across China and Taiwan, and expects to close orders for several hundred more bus drivetrains by Q3 of this year.

Reliable statistics on China’s transport industry can be hard to come by. According to EDI, industry reports indicated that there were approximately 116,000 electrified buses in China in 2016 – 20% of the overall bus market (a recent report from the International Energy Agency says that China has over 300,000 electric buses). Either way, it’s a huge market.

“With this kind of continued growth and market share, it can be expected that China can make an all-electric [bus fleet] a reality,” said CEO Joerg Ferchau. “Our portfolio of PHEV and EV drivetrain solutions and vehicle control software will enable large OEMs in China to rapidly introduce electrified options into the marketplace.”

Source: Efficient Drivetrains, Inc. via Green Car Congress