Yutong: First New Energy Commercial Vehicle Factory by Chinese Enterprise Starts Construction in the Middle East
On December 15, 2024, local time, Yutong Group officially commenced the construction of a new energy commercial vehicle factory in the Umm Al Houl Free Zone in Qatar in collaboration with the Qatari national transport company Mowasalat.
This marks the first electric commercial vehicle assembly plant in Qatar and represents Yutong's first overseas new energy commercial vehicle factory, as well as the first of its kind by a Chinese enterprise in the Middle East.
The factory is planned to cover an area of approximately 53,000 square meters and is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2025. It will enable localized research and development as well as production of electric city buses, subway feeder buses, school buses, and other products.
Initially, the factory will have an annual production capacity of 300 vehicles, which will gradually be increased to 1000 vehicles in the future to meet the growing demand in the local and neighboring markets, and to further promote the coordinated development of the local upstream and downstream industries.
In March of this year, Yutong Group and Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) cooperated to release a 15-year 1.5 million-kilometer long-life battery suitable for different market segments such as buses, light trucks, and heavy trucks. This battery will be used in Yutong buses and Yutong Heavy Industries' products. Yutong also launched 12 new commercial vehicle models at the event. Both parties are focusing on overseas markets, working together to achieve the strategic goal of 'combined vehicle and battery export overseas'.
