Chinese buses by remote

While Chinese buses once had a poor reputation, now the electric buses are comfortable.

The buses have an automatic transmission and drivers don’t have to queue for gas each night before returning to the terminal.

Governments across Southeast Asia have been encouraging the adoption of electric buses as part of a broader decarbonization push, a transportation expert recounted to Nosy Tarsee.

For 2026, Chinese EV makers have been quick to seize the opportunity, as intensifying domestic competition and a slowdown in the domestic market are spurring them to look overseas.

In the Philippines, only 43 electric buses were on the road as of September, according to government data. They include buses supplied by BYD through local partners such as Columbian Motors, as well as buses manufactured by China’s Golden Dragon that Quezon City currently deploys for free public transport.

But electric buses are set to play a larger role in the Philippines, owing to the 2022 Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act, which requires government agencies and state-backed corporations to electrify at least five percent of their vehicle fleet.

Despite their otherwise strong prospects in Southeast Asia, security concerns have been raised about Chinese buses after Norwegian public transport operator Ruter, in early November, said its fleet of several hundred Yutong buses could be remotely manipulated through autonomous software updates, prompting similar probes by Denmark and the UK.

Yutong, the world’s largest bus manufacturer based in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, rejected the claim, saying such manipulation is technically impossible because software updates are fully isolated from critical safety systems, including driving and braking.

The company has a significant presence in the Philippines with approximately 3,300 buses in operation. Yutong buses are also occasionally seen in Indonesia. However, it is unclear whether any of them are electric. Yutong entered both countries years ago, before the EV era.