August 20, 2026. The Chinese bus manufacturer King Long is entering the Argentine market through a partnership with Grupo Metropol, one of the long-established operators in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA). The goal is ambitious: 300 units annually starting in 2027, almost all powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), with 200 buses already operating in AMBA this year.
Unlike Mercedes-Benz, Scania, or Volkswagen chassis combined with locally or Brazilian-made bodies, King Long sells complete vehicles ready to operate, with the CNG tanks integrated into the original design.
The roadmap has two phases. The first is already underway: the initial batch of 200 units for AMBA. The second phase begins in 2027, with the goal of 300 buses annually. To put this number into perspective: it’s more buses than several major bus lines renew in a single year.
King Long’s involvement extends beyond simply selling buses. The agreement with Metropol includes after-sales service and the provision of spare parts, a crucial element for building trust in a business where a bus out of service due to a lack of components represents lost revenue.
King Long has been working on the homologation process since before announcing the agreement. If the schedule is met, the first units of the 200-unit batch should already be undergoing certification.
