King Long
King Long is a Chinese bus, coach, van, and special vehicle manufacturer (founded 1988, Xiamen) serving public transit, pilgrimage, corporate, airport, and European/African export markets with pure electric, hybrid, hydrogen, and L4 autonomous platforms under a wire-control chassis architecture.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersXiamen, China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What King Long does
King Long (legal entity: Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Co., Ltd.) is a privately held Chinese bus and coach manufacturer founded in 1988 in Xiamen, Fujian, and operating as a subsidiary of Xiamen King Long Motor Group Co., Ltd. The company designs, manufactures, and sells a full spectrum of passenger road vehicles spanning seven product series: E-Bus (PEV6, PEV7, PEV8, PEV12, PEV18, MU12E), E-Coach (PEV9, PEV10, MC13E, C12E, U13, U15E), conventional Bus (B12, B18, XMQ series, XMQ6108G double-decker), Coach (Kingster, XMQ6120BE, XMQ6821CY), Van (KINGWIN, KINGO, KS2WR, KINGWIND family), and Special Vehicles (KT600 industrial, PEV14 airport shuttle). Underlying technology spans pure electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel platforms with a unified wire-control chassis architecture, the ECO-Chip energy management system, ONRECO-Chip 5.0 driver assistance silicon, and the smartGO Telematics platform for fleet monitoring. King Long pioneered commercial L4 autonomous bus deployment with the Apolong in 2017 and has since logged normalized autonomous operations across multiple Chinese provinces with a claimed zero-accident record.
King Long firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- King Long
- Legal name
- Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Co., Ltd.
- Website
- https://king-long.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- King Long is a Chinese bus, coach, van, and special vehicle manufacturer (founded 1988, Xiamen) serving public transit, pilgrimage, corporate, airport, and European/African export markets with pure electric, hybrid, hydrogen, and L4 autonomous platforms under a wire-control chassis architecture.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
King Long industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Bus Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (3361)
- SIC
- Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hybrid Bus Manufacturing (IMACADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fuel Cell (Hydrogen) Bus Manufacturing (IMACADAF), Electric Bus & Coach Leasing/Rental (Battery-Electric) (TLABADAI), Commercial EV Rentals (Electric Vans/Trucks) (THADANAE)
Keywords
Where King Long is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Xiamen
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
King Long business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Bus and Coach Sales: King Long generates revenue primarily through the manufacture and sale of buses, coaches, vans, and special vehicles. The company offers both traditional diesel vehicles and new energy electric vehicles across multiple product lines.
- After-Sales Service and Support: King Long provides comprehensive after-sales service including worry-free 4S-level service (Stewardship-style service, Specialized customization services, Site-specific service, Superior parts availability) throughout the product lifecycle.
- Smart Charging Operation Services: One-stop smart charging operation services including vehicle procurement, charging operation, technical support and consultation on station construction, and charging operation management platform.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
King Long product offering
Product offeringCore offering
King Long manufactures and sells commercial buses, coaches, vans, and special vehicles, with a strong emphasis on new energy vehicles (pure electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel platforms). The product portfolio spans city buses, intercity coaches, premium tourism coaches, airport shuttles, light commercial vans, and the world's first mass-produced L4 autonomous driving bus (Apolong). The company supports its vehicles with telematics (smartGO), energy management (ECO-Chip), and a global after-sales service network providing 4S-level support.
Product overview
King Long is a comprehensive bus and coach manufacturer offering a diversified product portfolio across multiple segments: E-Bus (PEV6, PEV7, PEV8, PEV12, PEV18, MU12E) for urban electric mobility; E-Coach (PEV9, PEV10, U13, U15E, MC13E, XMQ6112E, XMQ6905E) for electric intercity transport; Bus (B12, B18, XMQ6108G double-decker, XMQ6950G, XMQ6119G, XMQ6127AGW) for urban and intercity routes; Coach (XMQ6120BE, C12E, XMQ6716 Kingster, XMQ6821CY) for premium passenger transport; Van (KINGWIN, NEW KINGWIN, KINGO/KINGO-L, KS2WR, KINGWIND series) for cargo and passenger transport; Special Vehicles (KT600 for logistics, PEV14 for airport shuttle); and Apolong autonomous bus for L4 autonomous driving. The company provides new energy solutions including pure electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel technology routes, supported by smartGO Telematics platform for fleet management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Apolong: World's first L4-level mass-produced autonomous new energy bus, launched in 2017, pioneering global commercial operation of autonomous driving.
- Merry Combo
- Jieguan
- Kingster
- PEV Series
Products and services
- PEV6 Pure electric city minibus designed for the European market with compact and agile body for navigating city streets and alleys. Seats 12 passengers over 6 meters.
- PEV7 7.5m compact electric bus with 2.3-meter width for flexibility, anti-corrosion technology, wide-opening rear door, and aluminum passenger door. Seats 17 passengers.
- PEV8 Medium-sized electric bus designed for European market with comprehensive upgrades in exterior design, passenger experience, driving, maintenance, and safety. Seats 19 passengers over 8 meters.
- PEV9
Quantifiable outcome
- Zero-accident safety record in autonomous driving operations across multiple regions in China
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use King Long
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
King Long technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature6 records
King Long partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Saudi NTC (National Trade Company)flagship20-year deep partnership since 2005, making King Long one of the earliest Chinese bus brands to export to Saudi Arabia. Achieved market leadership by outcompeting European brands including Mercedes-Benz. In 2015, 1,140 smart school buses were deployed; in 2019, 894 luxury coaches delivered for Hajj pilgrimage. Partnership exemplifies Belt and Road Initiative cooperation and Saudi Vision 2030 alignment.
- Shenzhen Transport CompanycoreKing Long delivered 100 pure electric buses (XMQ6112 model) to help Shenzhen Transport Company improve operational service quality and promote green urban transportation.
- Wuhan Transport CompaniescoreDelivered 200 pure electric Jieguan-5 coaches for corporate commuting rentals, tourist passenger transport, event and conference services, demonstrating King Long's capabilities in green urban transportation solutions.
- CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology)coreBattery supplier partnership for new energy vehicles. CATL batteries with IP68 protection and high energy density are used across multiple King Long EV models including PEV series buses.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
King Long competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CRRC: China's state-owned rail and emerging road-transit equipment conglomerate. While primarily rail, its adjacent new energy bus ambitions place it in the same Chinese SOE-backed ecosystem context as King Long's parent.
- Volvo Buses: European premium bus and coach OEM with global operations including electric city buses. Competes with King Long in European tender markets that King Long is actively entering via Busworld and NME Milan.
- NFI Group (New Flyer / Alexander Dennis): North American heavy-duty transit bus group with leading North American and UK market positions. While not a direct Chinese-market competitor, it is a comparable in scale and product portfolio, especially around zero-emission transit buses that face King Long in European markets.
- Daimler Truck (Mercedes-Benz Buses / Setra / EvoBus): Global premium bus and coach group. Mercedes-Benz was the displaced incumbent when King Long won the 2011 Saudi 150-coach order, illustrating the premium-OEM dynamic that recurs across King Long's export wins.
Direct peers
- Anhui Ankai Automobile: Anhui-based Chinese bus OEM producing city buses, coaches, and new energy vehicles with significant export exposure. Competes with King Long for domestic public transit orders and in select international tenders.
- BYD: Vertically integrated Chinese EV giant with a sizeable pure electric bus and coach business, exporting globally. Competes head-on with King Long on municipal fleet tenders and increasingly in the European e-bus market using in-house battery production.
- Yutong Bus: China's largest bus and coach manufacturer and King Long's most direct domestic competitor, with overlapping new energy bus product lines (pure electric, hybrid, hydrogen), large municipal fleet order wins, and active international export programs into Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
- Wrightbus: UK/Northern Ireland-based bus and coach manufacturer with growing zero-emission product lines, including double-decks. Comparable in product mix and emerging export push into markets where King Long also competes.
- Higer Bus: Suzhou-based Chinese bus manufacturer overlapping with King Long across city buses, coaches, and new energy models. Targets similar international markets including the Middle East and emerging Asia with comparable pricing.
Emerging players
- Solaris Bus & Coach: Polish electric bus specialist with strong European municipal footprint. Competes with King Long's PEV6/PEV7/PEV8 European-market launches in EU city bus tenders where both are pursuing zero-emission orders.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
King Long social profiles
Digital presenceKing Long financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
King Long leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
King Long funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
King Long M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about King Long
What does King Long do?
King Long manufactures and sells commercial buses, coaches, vans, and special vehicles, with a strong emphasis on new energy vehicles (pure electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel platforms). The product portfolio spans city buses, intercity coaches, premium tourism coaches, airport shuttles, light commercial vans, and the world's first mass-produced L4 autonomous driving bus (Apolong). The company supports its vehicles with telematics (smartGO), energy management (ECO-Chip), and a global after-sales service network providing 4S-level support.
Is King Long a public or private company?
King Long is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was King Long founded?
King Long was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is King Long based?
King Long is headquartered in Xiamen, China, in the Asia region.
How does King Long make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Bus and Coach Sales are the primary driver. The others are after-Sales Service and Support and smart Charging Operation Services.
Who are King Long's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CRRC, Volvo Buses, NFI Group (New Flyer / Alexander Dennis) and Daimler Truck (Mercedes-Benz Buses / Setra / EvoBus). Direct peers are Anhui Ankai Automobile, BYD, Yutong Bus, Wrightbus and Higer Bus. Solaris Bus & Coach is listed as an emerging player.
Does King Long have an API?
No public API is recorded for King Long.
What industry is King Long in?
King Long's product category is Commercial Bus Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACADAG, Hybrid Bus Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMACADAF, Fuel Cell (Hydrogen) Bus Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3361 and its SIC code is 3713.