Foton teams up with Daimler to create new truck model

Chinese truck maker Foton has teamed up with Daimler AG, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, to produce the Auman brand of trucks under the Beijing Foton Daimler Automotive (BFDA) joint venture.

"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 cooperative way," said Ulrich Walker, chairman and chief executive of Daimler Northeast Asia. "Today's Job No. 1 is an essential contribution to the realization 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."

Besides producing the Auman trucks at a new production facility, the joint venture will also see the construction of a second Auman truck manufacturing plant as well as the production of the OM 457 engine at the BFDA headquarters. The OM 457 engine, which has been successfully used on Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles in Europe and Latin America, will reportedly be introduced in compliance with the coming China IV Chinese emissions standard, which is comparable to the Euro IV standard.

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