Foton Motor's Overseas Sales Surge 45% YoY in March

In the first quarter of 2026, Foton Motor achieved total sales of 184,000 units, an increase of 7.8% year-on-year (YoY), with overseas sales reaching 54,000 units, up 34.4% YoY. In March alone, overseas sales skyrocketed 45% YoY. Behind this impressive performance, the bus segment stands out as a core growth driver, executing an "ecological rootedness" strategy to transition from product export to local integration—setting an important benchmark for high-quality global expansion in China's commercial vehicle industry.

New Localization: Bus Manufacturing Tailored to Global Scenarios

Moving beyond the single-product export model, Foton Motor uses localized factories as strategic hubs to build regional industrial centers for buses, achieving full-chain local integration across R&D, production, and service—laying a solid foundation for sustainable growth.

Blossoming Across Core Markets

To date, Foton Motor has established 32 localized factories worldwide, covering Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa, with its bus localization strategy achieving "multi-point success."

Latin America: Foton's São Paulo factory in Brazil spans 197,000 square meters with a planned annual capacity of 5,000 units, marking a critical leap for Chinese commercial vehicle brands from complete vehicle imports to localized manufacturing. Deeply integrated into Brazil's "reindustrialization" process, the factory develops customized new energy buses and light commercial vehicles specifically adapted to tropical climates and urban/intercity passenger needs, with market share continuing to climb.

Middle East: In 2025, Foton signed a memorandum with Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment and three other partners to jointly build a commercial vehicle KD manufacturing facility, with buses as a core production category. Concurrently, Foton delivered 1,000 customized school buses to Saudi Arabia for educational commuting in Riyadh and southern cities—becoming a key partner in the industrial localization process under Saudi Vision 2030.

Southeast Asia: The Thailand factory rapidly achieved production ramp-up, progressing from its first heavy-duty truck rolling off the line to the 2,000th unit delivered within just months. In 2025, Foton introduced a full-category matrix including new energy buses and light commercial vehicles, with localized manufacturing radiating across Southeast Asia and efficiently adapting to diverse scenarios such as urban public transport and cross-border passenger services. Notably, Foton's pure electric buses have become a leading brand on the Malay Peninsula, supporting the operation of the first pure electric cross-border passenger line between Singapore and Malaysia.

Industrial Chain Synergy: Co-Building a Bus Ecosystem to Forge Global Competitive Barriers

Localized factories form the "skeleton" of Foton's overseas bus ecosystem, while full-industry-chain synergy acts as the "lifeblood"—solving industry pain points such as supply chain lag and service disconnects through strong partnerships.

Technology Alliances Empower Bus Upgrades: Foton has partnered with industry leaders including Huawei, CATL, and Cummins to form a "Super Power Ecosystem Alliance," providing full-scenario solutions for overseas buses. The 2400A full liquid-cooled megawatt supercharging technology for electric heavy-duty trucks, developed in collaboration with Huawei Digital Energy, has been introduced to South American and European markets—simultaneously adapting to new energy bus charging needs, solving long-distance passenger transport charging challenges, and achieving user experience parity with traditional fuel buses.

Deep Service and Channel Penetration:

Localized Service System: Foton's X Business Division has pioneered used bus operations in Saudi Arabia through a "product-driven + ecosystem co-construction" model. In Vietnam, it has partnered with Yunnan Maimiao to build distribution and service networks under a "brand-guided + capital co-construction" approach, covering nationwide passenger transport and public transit scenarios.

Full-Chain Logistics Assurance: Moving beyond traditional outsourcing, Foton has established a logistics enterprise in partnership with Shandong Port and COSCO Shipping Specialized Carriers, constructing a "sea + land + port" full-chain ecosystem to ensure stable delivery of buses and components. In March 2026, Guangzhou Yuanfu Automotive Supply Chain Co., Ltd. was inaugurated, creating an exclusive "maritime highway" for overseas bus exports.

Benchmark Effect: Buses Leading Overseas Expansion, Anchoring 2030 Strategic Goals

The substantial YoY growth in overseas bus sales in Q1 2026 has become the core engine driving Foton Motor's export surge. In the Chilean market, nearly 1,400 Foton electric buses form South America's largest zero-emission bus fleet, validating the quality and adaptability of Chinese new energy buses. In high-humidity, high-temperature regions such as Madagascar, Foton buses achieve efficient and stable operation through customized technologies including intelligent temperature control and anti-corrosion measures.

According to strategic planning, Foton Motor's overseas annual sales will exceed 300,000 units by 2030, with the bus segment continuing to contribute incremental growth. From product export to ecological rootedness, Foton Motor demonstrates localized bus manufacturing and full-industry-chain synergy as a model, exporting green, efficient full-scenario commercial vehicle solutions globally—establishing an industry paradigm for the high-quality globalization of Chinese commercial vehicle brands.