Chinese bus maker Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry is planning to build its first European assembly plant in Hungary, King Long Magyarorszag managing director Janos Kelemen said on Friday.
King Long has made a declaration of intent on the factory and the investment is in the planning stages, Kelemen said, saying he could not offer much concrete information.
The Southern Great Plain region and the areas around Gyongyos and Miskolc, both in northeast Hungary, could be considered as sites for the plant, he added.
The plant would turn out two buses a day, mainly for delivery in Europe.
The wholly Chinese investment is expected to start in half a year.
King Long has been present on the European market for seven years and in Hungary for two. The company sold about a thousand buses in Europe last year — including 150 in Hungary — generating some 100 million euros in revenue.
King Long’s buses use a number of parts made in Europe, such as transmissions and wheels made in Hungary, Kelemen said.
King Long recently won a tender to supply Hungary’s state-owned long-distance bus company Volan with 60 vehicles.