Midea Sees Explosive European Demand for Air Conditioners Amid Heatwaves

Chinese home appliance maker Midea reported that European demand for its air conditioners continues to soar amid recurrent heatwaves, with two of its factories receiving hundreds of thousands of new orders in a month. The factories, in the eastern city of Wuhu and the southern port city Guangzhou, received new European orders for 200,000 units within a month amid “explosive demand”, the company said in a statement on Wednesday on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s investor Q&A platform. Many cities restrict exterior-wall modifications such as drilling for external AC units under strict historic urban preservation rules. Unlike conventional split systems, the PortaSplit uses a window bracket to suspend the outdoor unit without the need for permanent installation. To meet surging demand, Midea opened a new production line at its Wuhu factory on July 7, manufactured 20,000 units in just three and a half days and started the first shipment to France within seven days, the Foshan, Guangdong-headquartered company said earlier this month. Historic heatwaves have gripped Europe since late May, sending residents scrambling for fans and air conditioners.