Experts said that China's commercial vehicle industry will enter an adjustment period of three to four years, as the economic slowdown dampens demand and a sustainable development model requires greater transport efficiency and reduced emissions.
"The Chinese commercial vehicle market's fast development in the past decade was not sustainable and came at the cost of high emissions, road damage and frequent traffic accidents," said Feng Feng, manager of the commercial vehicle working group at the Beijing Representative Office of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.
The US automaker Ford Motor Co aims to tap the world's largest market for heavy-duty trucks by going through its China affiliate to take over Taiyuan Chang'an Heavy Duty Truck Co.
Ford said in a statement on Wednesday that Jiangling Motors Co, in which it holds a 30 percent stake, will acquire Taiyuan Chang'an from its parent companies, China Chang'an Automobile Group and China South Industries Group Corp. No further details about the deal have been released.
China is the largest market for heavy-duty trucks in the world. One million of the vehicles were sold in the country in 2011, more than in North America, Europe and South America.
It seems that heavy-duty trucks will continue to play an important role in China's booming economy, and there is still much room for quality improvement.
