BEIJING: Chinese air-conditioner manufacturers are ramping up production to meet surging demand from countries in Europe as the region swelters through record-breaking temperatures.
Unlike in major cities across Asia and the United States, air-conditioning remains rare in many European homes – where public housing and older buildings have been built historically for winter insulation rather than regulating extreme summer heat.
Chinese air-conditioning brands told state media outlets that they have been increasing production to meet the demand for portable split models.
Chinese electrical appliance giant Midea told the Global Times state tabloid that its air-conditioner manufacturing plant in Guangdong has been working around the clock to ramp up production of its popular PortaSplit models.
On its website, Midea’s PortaSplit air-conditioning units are advertised as requiring no installation, no tools and no drilling – and are also “perfectly compatible with most European window types”.
In cities like Paris for example, where many buildings are not built for air-conditioning – experts said installing traditional air-con units can often be expensive or complicated.
Rules also exist to protect historical buildings in the city, and installing fittings like a traditional split air-con unit would be deemed to change the exterior look of buildings, which is prohibited.
Midea told the Global Times that it has seen “robust sales growth” in parts of Western Europe.
“Our air-conditioner sales in markets with relatively low air-conditioner penetration, including France, Spain, Germany and the UK all posted a year-on-year increase of more than 70 per cent,” it said on Saturday (Jun 27).
Another major Chinese manufacturer, Gree Electric Appliances, reported air-conditioner sales in European countries including France, Italy and Spain rising by more than 40 per cent year-on-year between January to June.
Its portable air-conditioners are especially popular among overseas customers due to the easy installation process, a company representative told the Yicai Global news outlet – with global distributors reporting almost no stock left.
“We started selling split-type portable air-conditioners a while ago, and are currently researching easy-to-install split-type models,” the spokesperson told Yicai.