In the first half of 2025, Actia (China) saw a 15% increase in sales volume! Zhang Xiaoping, chairman and general manager of Actia (China), emphasized that the strategy of focusing on the bus market remains unchanged.

In the first half of 2025, Actia (China) saw a 15% increase in sales volume, far exceeding the average growth rate of 3% in China's large and medium - sized (over 7 meters) bus industry during the same period. This is in line with Zhang Xiaoping's saying: "Only by not doing some things can we achieve more."

On the one hand, the competition among old brands is intensifying, while on the other hand, new players are constantly entering the market. The increasingly obvious over - capacity has led many Chinese bus brands to cut prices in order to survive. The prices of some models are even lower than they were ten years ago. At the same time, in the first half of this year, the domestic market for buses over 7 meters shrank by 7.1%. Many brands have shifted their focus overseas. Data shows that in the first half of the year, the export volume of buses over 7 meters exceeded 28,000 vehicles for the first time, surpassing domestic sales.

Going overseas seems to be a safe haven to escape the internal competition. However, in Zhang Xiaoping's view, going overseas is a new battleground to compete globally with real capabilities. "Some brands' overseas teams have tried hard to get opportunities, but have lost them due to product problems. Once the brand's reputation collapses, it is difficult to recover," he said. "The painful experience of Chinese motorcycles' failure in Southeast Asia is enough to prove that without real capabilities, even the largest market share can be reduced to zero in an instant. Chinese buses must learn from this lesson, not to wage price wars overseas, and not to engage in short - sighted one - time deals."

In the first half of the year, Actia (China)'s export growth exceeded 20%, nearly 6 percentage points higher than the average export growth rate of China's large and medium - sized bus industry. Actia (China) has proved with its sales volume that it is possible to win beautifully without engaging in price wars. As early as 2019, Zhang Xiaoping publicly proposed that "going overseas is a must - have path for the development of China's bus industry." Actia (China) also started early to invest in research and development and improve its internal capabilities. As the international market, especially the high - end market, increasingly demands higher levels of bus technology, information security, and functional safety, Actia (China)'s advantages have become more prominent. "Without our products and services, many Chinese bus brands may find it difficult to enter the high - end overseas market. This may sound a bit immodest, but it is the fact," Zhang Xiaoping admitted. "Only by walking on a healthy and sustainable development path can we achieve the goal of 'if the east doesn't shine, the west will'."

More than two years ago, Actia (China) began to enter the non - road machinery market and expanded its business scope from buses and coaches to the mobile machinery sector, which includes construction machinery and agricultural machinery. This inevitably led to speculation from the outside world: Is Actia (China) giving up on the bus market because it is difficult to do business in the bus market?

"The bus business accounts for about 75% of Actia (China)'s business and is the core sector. We will never give up the bus market, nor will we change our strategy of focusing on the bus market," Zhang Xiaoping emphasized. "Only by safeguarding the basic business can we do other things well. Therefore, Actia (China) and even the Actia Group's emphasis on the bus market has been increasing, and the resources invested have also been greater."

Transferring the center of the bus intelligent human - machine interface (S - HMI) product line from France to China is one of the most powerful proofs. "This product line includes key products such as instruments, displays, and bus cabins, which were previously operated at the group's headquarters in France and are now led by Actia (China). In addition, Actia (China) is also a member of the management bodies of other product lines of the group and has a greater say," Zhang Xiaoping explained. "In the past, our job was to localize the group's products. Now, we are making 'Chinese solutions' into 'global solutions'. When developing a new product, the needs of the Chinese market have become an important source for defining its global form. This is a strategic upgrade."

While consolidating its core bus business, Actia (China) has naturally extended to the mobile machinery field based on the technical commonality of its electronic and electrical architecture. "The core principles are the same, and there is no obstacle for the team to fight across fields," Zhang Xiaoping said, citing the example of former bus and coach sales personnel who, after switching to the agricultural machinery market, were still able to "speak eloquently" and win over customers. "Different industries are not separated by mountains" ensures that the core resources of the bus business are not diluted, and the new business can run light.

Source : www.chinabuses.org

Editor : David

Views：3722