Foton Daimler joint-venture in full swing; First jointly produced truck rolls-off assembly line

Crucial step for the Daimler trucks division: The first jointly produced truck by the Beijing-Huairou-based joint-venture between Daimler AG and Chinese truck maker Foton rolled-off the assembly line. Henceforth, all Auman-brand trucks will be produced by the joint-venture
Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive Co., Ltd. (BFDA).

"The joint production of our first Auman truck under BFDA is the result of thorough planning and groundwork that was done by Daimler and Foton in an intensive and co-operative way," stated Ulrich Walker, Chairman and CEO of Daimler Northeast Asia Ltd. "Today's 'Job #1' is an essential contribution to the realisation of our strategy for the Chinese market, where Daimler is the only foreign auto company to cover all segments including passenger cars, vans, and trucks as well as spare parts and financial services."

Wang Jinyu, President and CEO of Foton Motor, said about the latest landmark in the progress of BFD,. "We are very pleased to be entering this new phase in our cooperation. The joint venture products will have more competitive advantages through the combination of Foton’s market know-how and Daimler's technical expertise."

Wu Yuejun, President of BFDA, valued the smooth transition to Auman production under BFDA as a clear testimony to the high level of cooperation between colleagues on both sides of the joint-venture.

"BFDA enables us to build on the synergies between Foton and Daimler in marketing and technology, which combined with new production facilities will greatly strengthen the position of the Auman brand in the Chinese truck market," said Wu Yuejun.

Along with the construction of a second Auman truck production site, the joint venture will also take care of establishing the production of the OM 457 engine at the BFDA headquarters . The OM 457 engine, which has been successfully used in Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles in Europe and Latin America, will be introduced in compliance with the coming Chinese emissions standard China-IV (comparable to Euro-IV).

"It is our goal to use the best of both worlds. Through our technical expertise, for example, we will be able to offer our customers an additional option and to cater to their individual needs even better," added Stefan Albrecht, Executive Vice-President of BFDA.

Posted in: Asia Pacific,Beijing,BFDA,China,Commercial Vehicle,Daimler,Daimler Trucks,Foton,Heavy-Duty,Joint-Venture,Stefan Albrecht,Truck,Ulrich Walker,Wang Jinyu,Wu Yuejun