On November 5, 2026, a 30-member Austrian economic delegation visited Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Co., Ltd. (“Golden Dragon”). Representatives from the commercial sections of the Austrian Consulates General in Chengdu and Guangzhou also joined the visit. The delegation included executives and technical representatives from 17 Austrian public transportation institutions，such as passenger transport operators and green energy companies, including Austrian Postbus, the Tyrol public transport authority, the Burgenland public transport company, Blaguss, Ledermair and Bacher, etc. Lai ZhiYi, General Manager of Golden Dragon, and Wang Jinji, General Manager of Golden Dragon Global Marketing Center, led the reception team.

Visiting the Longhai Smart Factory

In the morning, the delegation visited Golden Dragon’s Longhai Smart Factory in Zhangzhou. As a core manufacturing base serving the global high-end market, the factory has a planned annual production capacity of 30,000 vehicles and is equipped with an independent high-end production line specifically for the high-standard European market.

At the electrophoresis workshop,  engineers together with the European business team, introduced the vehicle anti-corrosion process through simultaneous explanations in Chinese and German. The production line completes one vehicle body every eight minutes, and the electrophoretic coating can penetrate into the inner cavities of the frame, ensuring 10 years of corrosion protection.

The delegation then entered the bus final assembly workshop, which has a total area of nearly 60,000 square meters and is currently the largest of its kind in the world. They viewed automated equipment including the overhead conveyor system and tire-lifting robotic arms, gaining a direct impression of Golden Dragon’s capabilities in intelligent assembly and digital production.

The delegation then arrived at Golden Dragon’s Global Marketing Center in Haicang, Xiamen, where they viewed representative models developed for the European market, including the GC Series intercity buses and coaches and the PIVOT Series battery-electric city buses. The guests boarded the vehicles for first-hand experience and held in-depth discussions with the technical team, such as vehicle winter operations, body corrosion protection, charging compatibility and total cost of ownership (TCO), etc.

Discussing the Future Zero-Carbon Transportation

At the meeting, Lai ZhiYi welcomed the delegation. He introduced that since Golden Dragon was established in 1992, its products have been exported to more than 150 countries and regions. In 2025, Golden Dragon exported more than 9,400 buses and coaches, ranking second among Chinese bus brands. At present, more than 500 Golden Dragon battery-electric buses are operating in Europe.

“The overseas market is not simply about selling vehicles abroad’. It is about truly understanding the requirements of different countries, customers and regulations, and providing long-term, reliable products and services,” Lai said. He expressed the hope that this visit would serve as a starting point for practical cooperation with Austrian partners in vehicle supply, technical exchanges and service support.

The European business team gave a detailed presentation for Golden Dragon European market solutions in German. At present, more than 500 Golden Dragon battery-electric buses  are operating in Europe, they have good performance in Denmark and Norway. For European  complex operating conditions, including cold and humid environments, Golden Dragon products feature five major technical highlights, including fully enclosed chassis protection against cold weather and multiple anti-corrosion measures for stainless-steel bodies. The products have also obtained EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EU-WVTA), covering three major categories: city buses, intercity coaches and battery-electric chassis. Golden Dragon can provide flexible cooperation models including complete vehicles, chassis cooperation and knock-down assembly.

The Austrian delegation spoke highly of Golden Dragon manufacturing capabilities and customized solutions. During the discussion, Several company representatives expressed that the visit had strengthened their confidence in the quality and adaptability of Chinese new energy buses. They looked forward to seeing more Chinese buses operating on urban and rural roads in Austria in the future and contributing to the country’s green transportation transition.

The visit comprehensively demonstrated Golden Dragon core strengths in intelligent manufacturing and new energy, and built an effective bridge for further development in Austria and the high-end Central European market. After the meeting, Golden Dragon overseas sales center will continue to advance follow-up cooperation.