www.chinabuses.org: Sales of Foton Motors were rather well with record high. 422,800 vehicles were sold from Jan. to July, up 25.8%, in which 14,300 light buses and 2,291 medium and large buses were sold out, up 17.1% and 50.5% respectively.
As the biggest commercial vehicle manufacturer, Foton knows well that new energy vehicles are a rather good way to become a comprehensive auto maker. They started to deploy new energy vehicles since 2003, and they always place new energy vehicle research and development as a core strategy.
Apart from new energy buses, they also released cars and MPV etc. new energy vehicle models. In December 2008, the first domestic new energy vehicle production base, Beijing new energy automobile design and manufacturing base, and they founded Beijing New Energy Vehicle Industry Alliance which is the first domestic new energy auto industry alliance.
Currently there are 1,500 Foton AUV new energy city buses running in Beijing, Guangzhou and Jinan etc.
Foton has its CKD plants in Indonesia, Vietnam, Russia, Mexico, Pakistan, Turkey, Iran etc and they has built service stations in Central Asia, West Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia etc countries and regions.
Foton has directly invested their plants in Russia, and Foton Motors in Europe & Russian Foton Motor Company was founded on June, 24.
According to their plan, they will carry out “5+3+1”strategy till 2015, that is to build five plants in Brazil, India, Russia, Mexico and Thailand, to enter Japan and South Korea, North America, and Western Europe the three most rigid auto markets by high end vehicles and engines, and also to develop passenger cars by the help of new energy vehicles.
Foton has cooperated with many international giants to realize their globalization goals. Foton signed joint-venture operation agreement with Daimler on July 16 after eight years consultation and efforts. And Beijing Foton Cummins Engine Company was founded as early as March in 2008.
As their targets, their annual output will reach 2 million units till 2015 with businessincome 170bn Yuan and profiting 10bn Yuan, in which 450,000 units, 25% of total, will be purchased in overseas markets including European and North American markets as well as Japan and South Korea.