Chinese bus maker Yutong launches new vehicles in Cuba

HAVANA -- Chinese bus maker Yutong on Tuesday presented to the Cuban market new models of buses, generating great expectations among locals and government officials at the 35th Havana International Trade Fair, the island's most important business event.

Dozens of people attending the fair, Yutong and Cuban government officials participated in the unveiling of the vehicles, which will soon be used in Havana to transport foreign visitors.

"We brought to the fair six products and two of them are our major focus here. One is a high-end tourist bus and the other uses hybrid power which is a mix of electric energy and diesel," Hu Huaiban, Yutong's director of international business, told Xinhua.

According to Hu, the six new models presented at the fair are adequate for the Cuban market and several technical designs have been updated.

"With the high-end coach we hope to help upgrade tourist buses in Cuba and with the hybrid-powered one, we hope to make our contribution to energy saving and environmental protection in Cuba," he said.

"The initial cost for a pure electric bus is relatively high and it does not suit Cuba specifically. Therefore, this year we've brought a hybrid bus for the Cuban market, the fuel-saving rate of which could reach between 25 and 35 percent," he added.

Since the first batch of 12 buses in 2005, Yutong has sold more than 6,800 units in Cuba, occupying 70 percent of the local market.

Yutong is a leading bus-maker in China. It exports products to over 190 countries. In 2015, it sold 67,000 buses with revenues that surpassed $500 million.