DB’s China-sourced bus procurement sparks trade unions criticism amid calls for ‘economic patriotism, Der Spiegel reports
A large Deutsche Bahn e-bus tender has ignited a political and labour backlash after BYD emerged as a key supplier, according to reporting by the German newspaper Der Spiegel out on December 9th. For policymakers and unions, the prospect of a Chinese manufacturer delivering a major share of DB’s next-generation bus fleet raises concerns about […]
A large Deutsche Bahn e-bus tender has ignited a political and labour backlash after BYD emerged as a key supplier, according to reporting by the German newspaper Der Spiegel out on December 9th.
For policymakers and unions, the prospect of a Chinese manufacturer delivering a major share of DB’s next-generation bus fleet raises concerns about procurement strategy at a time of heightened sensitivity to domestic job protection.
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A procurement still underway, but already politically charged
As Der Spiegel reports, BYD has been selected as the main supplier for one of the tender’s largest lots, involving roughly 700 electric buses. Additional awards reportedly involve Zhongtong Bus and MAN.
The EVG union (it stands for Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft, the Railway and Transport Union in Germany) reacted immediately. For EVG chief and DB supervisory board vice-chair Martin Burkert, the decision stands in stark contrast to recent federal calls for more domestic industrial loyalty. The union argues that aggressive Chinese pricing is distorting the market and that DB, as a state-owned enterprise, should align more closely with Germany’s industrial-policy objectives.
EVG chair and Deutsche Bahn supervisory board vice-chair Martin Burkert reportedly told Der Spiegel that the union will formally bring the matter before the DB supervisory board.
BYD already supplies DB Regio (since 2021) and is scaling production in Hungary, where its annual bus output is expected to triple to around 1,250 units. BYD bus assembly plant in Komárom started operations in 2017, and now is the only foreign-owned bus factory in a country which has a huge heritage in bus and coach manufacturing.
