The 2026 EC-PAC National New Energy Commercial Vehicle (Bus) Performance Evaluation Public Welfare Competition—widely regarded as China's most authoritative and rigorous professional event in the bus industry—concluded successfully in Chongqing. Co-hosted by the China Communications and Transportation Association and the China Merchants Vehicle Test & Research Institute, the competition brought together 17 leading domestic bus manufacturers with 26 mainstream models competing head-to-head.
Golden Dragon fielded two entrants: the 5.9m micro-circulation electric city bus and the 11m GC11E electric touring bus. Demonstrating well-rounded and robust overall performance, Golden Dragon secured three prestigious honours—the All-Round Gold Award, the Energy-Saving Gold Award, and the Driving Range Gold Award. These nationally recognized test results validate the leading competitiveness of Golden Dragon's new modular bus platform and high-efficiency e-powertrain technologies.
Moving beyond simple parameter comparisons, the competition carried out comprehensive real-world tests across seven dimensions: energy efficiency, power performance, ride comfort, driving safety, cabin health, charging safety, and intelligent driving. Trials were conducted under realistic operating scenarios, including congested full-load conditions, long-distance highway travel, and extreme high and low temperatures.
As the competition's highest honour, the All-Round Gold Award requires a model to rank first in its category with balanced performance across all seven criteria. Widely acknowledged as the industry's definitive certification of overall vehicle competency, this award does not reward excellence in a single metric. Instead, it evaluates balanced performance across all areas and whole-life operational value. Weakness in any dimension disqualifies a vehicle from consideration, and only one winner is selected per category. Its stringent criteria make it an essential authoritative reference for bus operators and purchasers in the public transport and passenger transport sectors.
In the micro-bus category, Golden Dragon's 5.9m micro-circulation bus claimed the All-Round Gold Award, alongside the Energy-Saving and Driving Range Gold Awards. Key highlights include a widened air-spring chassis, EBS electronic braking, fully compatible fast charging, and a low-radiation cabin. Its short rear overhang and large departure angle deliver outstanding trafficability, while the long wheelbase unlocks class-leading interior space—enabling the 6-metre-class vehicle to offer passenger capacity comparable to 7-metre buses. Built on a dedicated lightweight platform, the vehicle weighs 100 kg less than peer models, fundamentally reducing energy consumption.
Equipped with a 97% high-efficiency permanent magnet synchronous motor, a six-in-one silicon carbide electronic control system, and an integrated motor axle, it achieves a comprehensive energy recovery rate of 32%. Under test conditions—the CHTC-B urban bus cycle, full rated passenger load, and air conditioning set steadily at 24°C—real-world measurements show its power consumption per 100 kilometres is over 4.8% lower than the group average, demonstrating remarkable energy-saving advantages.
In the 10–12m coach category, the Golden Dragon GC11E electric touring bus took home the Energy-Saving and Driving Range Gold Awards, establishing itself as a benchmark for mid-to-high-end tourist transport and intercity shuttle services. Advanced aerodynamic design brings the drag coefficient down to 0.365. Combined with a rigid closed-loop lightweight body structure, this design greatly reduces energy consumption during highway cruising. The vehicle features rapid power response, quiet and comfortable high-speed travel, and comes standard with full L2 intelligent driving assistance systems. It earned high scores across power performance, comfort, safety, and intelligence, outperforming many competitors in its class.
The new energy bus sector has evolved from large-scale rollout to high-quality deployment. Customer demands are shifting from "operable vehicles" to vehicles that are user-friendly, durable, and cost-effective, driving growing demand for independent third-party professional evaluations. Golden Dragon's triple-gold achievement with two competing models at EC-PAC represents comprehensive recognition of the brand's vehicle R&D and core e-powertrain technologies by authoritative industry bodies.
Going forward, Golden Dragon will continuously refine product quality using competition test data and optimize full-scenario new energy bus solutions. With lower operational energy consumption, reliable driving range, and well-rounded capabilities, Golden Dragon will support the low-carbon transition of the transport sector, supplying high-quality, high-value manufactured vehicles for urban public transport, tourist, and passenger transport markets.
