As September arrives, streaks of green have appeared on the streets of Bishkek, the host city of the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States. During the summit, a fleet of zero‑emission electric buses—marked with the event logo and the inscription “SCO Summit · Bishkek‑2026” in Kyrgyz, Chinese, Russian, and English—traveled along major urban routes, providing key transport support for the high‑profile gathering. These green buses are manufactured by Ankai, a leading bus maker based in Hefei, China.

Long before the summit began, Ankai had already established a green footprint deep in the Kyrgyz capital.

As early as August 2024, even before vehicle shipments, Ankai’s overseas service team arrived in Bishkek to assess operating sites and lay the groundwork for supporting infrastructure, including charging stations and maintenance workshops. In June 2025, 120 new‑energy buses set off from Hefei and traveled over 4,000 kilometers to Bishkek, marking Kyrgyzstan’s largest‑ever order for electric buses. That August, the Bishkek Electric & Gas Bus Service Centre was officially inaugurated, with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov attending the opening and taking a test ride on an Ankai bus. From late September 2025 onward, the buses entered regular city routes and have since become an integral part of the local public transport network.

True localization means products must “understand” the city they serve. Situated on a high‑altitude plateau, Bishkek features undulating roads and wet, icy conditions in winter. Ankai carried out extensive customization for the local operating environment: high‑power motors deliver strong climbing capability for hilly terrain; a three‑door, low‑floor layout with accessibility ramps ensures easy boarding for the elderly, children, and people with disabilities; and full‑electric air‑conditioning and heating systems maintain cabin comfort in both cold and hot weather. A single charge supports full‑day revenue service.

 

Safety was built in from the design phase. Ankai’s engineering team fine‑tuned vehicle control software to match local road conditions and driver habits, and the buses passed stringent tests, including roll‑over assessments that comply with EU standards. Currently, Ankai electric buses operate on eight major bus routes across Bishkek, quietly advancing the city’s green mobility agenda.

Ankai has a long‑standing connection with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. In 2018, 40 Ankai buses provided premium transport support for the SCO Qingdao Summit, showcasing the strength of China’s domestic bus brand on the world stage. Eight years later, as the summit moved to Kyrgyzstan, Ankai buses have become a familiar daily sight in Bishkek. Its evolution from a supporting participant at China‑hosted summits to a mainstream local operator in the host country mirrors the remarkable global progress of Chinese bus manufacturers over the past eight years.

 

This proven capability on the international stage has been forged through countless major state‑level events. For over two decades, Ankai has provided transport services for China’s Two Sessions, the 80th‑anniversary commemoration of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Beijing Olympic Games, the Hangzhou Asian Games, the G20 Hangzhou Summit, the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, the Forum on China‑Africa Cooperation, and the Boao Forum for Asia. Ankai buses and dedicated service teams have built a gold‑standard reputation for zero‑fault transport support at high‑level events.

Delivering this capability overseas relies on mature, permanent after‑sales service systems. After vehicle delivery, Ankai’s on‑site overseas team provides continuous support, including driver training, fault diagnosis, and software upgrades throughout the technical service period. For the SCO summit, this seasoned team remained on full alert, stepping up inspection routines and refining emergency response protocols to keep every bus in optimal condition for delegates. In addition to the core electric bus fleet, more than ten Ankai N70 coaches joined the support effort. Anhui Cummins Power Ltd. provided full‑range technical backup, working closely with Ankai field staff to ensure a zero‑incident performance for this landmark Silk Road summit.