On December 6, Foton 2017 Global Partners Conference was held in Bangkok, Thailand. At the conference, it officially released the company’s global development strategies. Having been maintaining a fast growing momentum in Thailand, the commercial vehicle brand has decided to build Foton Asia-Pacific Industrial Center in the country. Gong Yueqiong, Standing Deputy General Manager of Foton, and Chang Rui, Deputy General Manager of Foton, revealed the plate of the center to all the participants and journalists from various media.
Thailand is the largest developing country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). More importantly, it is geographically located at a point along the modern marine silk road and plays an important role in China’s One Belt and One Road Initiative. Currently, both China and Thailand are blessed with many opportunities for their economic growth. To set up a factory and Asia-Pacific Industrial Center in Thailand, Foton is hoping to further strengthen its presence in the country and grasp the great historical opportunity for its overseas expansion. It is firmly believed that the establishment of both the factory and the center will usher in a new developmental stage for the commercial vehicle brand in the local market and the surrounding countries in the region.
As early as 2009, Foton released its 2020 Strategies. Since the, the company has been steadily taking a host of measures and pushing forward its globalization strategies. Statistics show that Foton realized an average growth rate of 10-20% in the recent two years despite the sluggish macro-economic conditions and the slowing of the export. So far, it has built 23 KD factories and sold its vehicles in 160-plus countries and regions across the globe. Gradually, the company is shifting from merely exporting its products to building more localized vehicles to suit the special needs of its customers.
Having long realized that doing the export business cannot sustain the continued growth of its business and provide sufficient fuel to power its transformation into a top-tier enterprise in the global auto-making industry, Foton has been making tenacious efforts in building comprehensive networks integrating production, pre-sales and post-sales services. Building localized vehicles has always been the ultimate goal for Foton in its overseas expansion. After the construction of its factory and its Asia-Pacific Industrial Center, the company is more well-positioned to allocate its resources and provide quality products and sound services to its customers
Also at the conference, Foton brought its super heavy-duty truck Auman EST, Aumark S medium truck and Ollin CTS super light truck on display. Boasting a wide spectrum of vehicle products, Foton has never been blindly increasing its number in the overseas market by introducing new vehicle models. Instead, it always gives its priority to popularize its medium- and high-end vehicles with tailor-made features to suit its foreign customers.
As a bellwether in China’s commercial industry, Foton has rolled out a host of superbly outstanding super truck models that can readily rival with those vehicle brands from developed countries. A few years ago, in Foton Vehicle Industry 4.0 strategic plans, the company aimed high on its super trucks, which have long become a formidable presence in the market. According to the company, Foton Super Truck Plan is an important part of Foton Vehicle Industry 4.0 strategic plans.
Featuring high environmentally friendliness, high efficiency, high energy economy, high safety standards and high intelligence, Foton super trucks are now able to cut both fuel consumption and carbon emissions by 30%. Auman EST, as a fist product of the company, fully meets Euro VI Emission Standards, reaches a B10 life expectancy of one million kilometers and reduces the loading platform to only 1,100 millimeters. Aumark and Ollin, both super truck models are available in natural gas or electric drivelines, has pushed the truck manufacturing technologies to a new historical height.
Thanks to their state-of-art technologies, Foton super trucks have achieved high intelligence, high environmental friendliness and high energy efficiency. Additionally, their modularized designs, ultra low drag designs and light-weight designs have been fully integrated with highly efficient drivelines, hybrid drivelines, highly efficient AMT, drivers’ assistance systems, vehicle fleet management, and capacity configurations.
As the largest commercial vehicle manufacturer in China, Foton has been constantly pushing forward the research and development of intelligent trucks with low emission standards and high energy efficiency. In the meantime, it has been seeking strategic alliance with global players in the commercial vehicle industry. In June, 2016, Foton joined hands with such well-renowned names as Daimler, Cummins, ZF, Continental Electronics and Baidu, creating Super Truck Global Innovation Alliance. In the foreseeable future, Foton will surely bring the advanced truck manufacturing technologies and brand building standards to Thailand to assist the industrial upgrading and transformation in Thailand.
At Foton 2017 Global Partners Conference, Foton also exhibits China’s first driver-less super truck. Along with the maturing technologies, Foton is getting itself ready to commercialize the promising products and further enhance the safety standards on the road across the world. Similar to the drive-less technologies used on passenger vehicles, those applied on commercial vehicles will greatly reduce transportation costs and improve overall efficiency of the industry, especial in the logistic sector.
Currently, Foton super trucks are equipped with a number of key technologies, such as lane-deviation alarming LDW, blind-spot monitoring, traffic signs identification, self-adjustment cruise-ACC, super cruising, and automatic braking-AEBS. All these, particularly the application of the active braking system and lane-deviation system, have laid a solid foundation for the release of driver-less super trucks.
While researching and developing driver-less vehicles, Foton has accumulated rich experience in electric driving platform adjustment and multiple driver’s assisting functions. In addition, it has independently developed some core technologies, such as controlling devices, preparing the company to make big splashes in the global high-end truck market.
Steadily moving forward with its localized high-quality products and constantly making technological innovations are the two keys to Foton’s continued success in the overseas market. Wang Jinyu, General Manager of Foton, once proudly said, “If the world knows one vehicle brand from China, it must be Foton. We are now making all efforts to achieve that goal”.
