Analysis of LNG Bus Market in Jan. - July 2012 III

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Part Four: Analysis of CNG and LNG Buses’ Sales in China’s Different Regional Markets in the First Seven Months of 2012

Table Four: Statistic of CNG and LNG Buses’ Sales in China’s Different Regional Markets in the First Seven Months of 2012

1. The biggest regional market of LNG buses is in Sichuan which sold 405 units and it accounted for 14.47% of the all sales of LNG buses. The second one is Xinjiang regional market and the third one is in Jilin. But their market shares are much less than the Sichuan's.

2. In the sales of the LNG buses, the top fifteen regional markets sold 2,207 units, which accounted for nearly 79% of the total sales of the LNG buses. It is seen the sales of LNG buses in different regional markets are rather different and unbalanced.

The sales of the LNG buses in the top fifteen regional markets in Jan.-July2012 were all in positive growth, which shows the growth of the LNG buses are high and common.
　

Part Five: Analysis of LNG Bus’ Prices & Sales in the First Seven Months of 2012

Table Five: Statistic of LNG Bus’ Prices & Sales in the First Seven Months of 2012

Chart Five: Statistic of LNG Bus’ Prices & Sales in the First Seven Months of 2012

From the above data, it is seen that　　

1. Among the sales of LNG buses in the first seven months of 2012, the sales of LNG buses valuing above RMB 0.6 million only were 75 units which accounted for 2.68%. The corresponding product in this price area are the 12m large LNG buses and above 12m huge LNG buses. And they are mainly equipped with domestic high-power engine products, such as Yuchai or Shangchai engines.　　

2. The sales of LNG buses valuing ￥0.3 million～￥0.4 million was the biggest -- 992 units, which accounted for 35.4 percent of the total sales volume. The corresponding product in this price area is mainly the 10m-11m LNG Buses with enough big capacity and less empty loading rate as a city buses which has a good sales in the market.
　　

3. The LNG buses valuing below RMB 0.2 million only sold 64 units which accounted for 2.29%., The corresponding product in this price area is mainly the 6m small LNG buses. As the length of the 6 meter LNG buses is limit, so their equipment and space in the buses are also limited. As the 6 meter LNG buses are always driving in the remote area or inter city bus lines, where the gas stations are not so well equipped, which make the 6 meter LNG buses not so easy to add gas during its its long distance driving. Besides, the prices of the above 7 meters LNG buses are over RMB 0.2 million. So the sales of LNG buses valuing below RMB 0.2 million is very bad. 　　

4. In the segment of the LNG buses,from the prices, it is seen that the sales volume of both in the high or the low prices are very small.
　

Compared with the traditional diesel engine drive buses, LNG buses have their obvious advantages, which shows that they can reduce the fuel consumption by 45% as well as they can also be able to decrease carbon monoxide emissions by 90%, hydrocarbons emissions by 70% and the nitrogen compounds emissions by 35%. The LNG buses are very competitive in the market especially to meet the the high requirements on tail gas emission. Now, when Beijing planed to enforce requirement on the national V emission standard, 195 units of EuroⅤLNG buses were brought in Beijing. At present, the total quantities of the natural gas buses in Beijing public transportation have been more than 3500 units. In addition, compared with the ordinary diesel engine and natural gas engines, the LNG engine are good with lower noise. Now, the LNG buses are gradually driving in Shandong, Fujian and Henan etc. provinces. Based on its original performance such as reliability, durability and economy foundation of the LNG buses, how to improve the LNG buses' burning quality, to lower the emissions and to reduce the overall weight etc. are the important directions for the bus builders to do in the future to compete in the LNG bus market.

Surely, the development of natural gas buses also have some innate "bottleneck", such as natural gas resource restriction, continuous driving distance and low reaction with the torque response etc. Data shows that Chinese LNG buses are over 300,000 units which includes all kinds of large and medium LNG buses and LNG taxis. At present, in China, the LNG buses application are mainly in the natural gas resources rich regional markets and they are still badly restricted by the backward of infrastructure development. A series of problems may prevent the further spread of LNG buses But with the LNG technology gradually improving and developing, the LNG buses will become popular and will replace other fuel buses in one day.