China-based Foton, which manufacturers trucks in partnership with Daimler of Germany, unveiled its full range of light, medium and heavy duty trucks and special-purpose vehicles, at an event in Dubai.

James Zhu, vice director for West Asia & regional manager for GCC, Beiqi Foton Motor, said the expansion into GCC markets was part of an ambitious plan to widen Foton’s global footprint and sustain its position as the world’s top truck manufacturer, producing vehicles that use automotive components from world-renowned companies, such as Cummins, Bosch, Lotus, Motorola and others.

“Our strong focus on R&D and collaborations with the world’s best automotive suppliers has enabled us to produce products that are on par with those of traditionally strong European manufacturers,” James Zhu said.

“We anticipate high demand in the UAE because our products carry the badge of proven quality and are very competitively priced. We tested GCC markets two years ago with successful forays into Oman and Saudi Arabia, where we have already won large orders.”

Nihad Alkilani, National Business manager for Fleet and Commercial Vehicles at Liberty Automobiles, Foton’s dealer in UAE, said: “The UAE market is in need of reliable and affordable alternative brands in light and medium commercial vehicles.  Foton is eminently suited to fill this vacuum. Liberty Automobiles, with over 35 years of experience as an award-winning automotive dealership, is fully geared to boost Foton’s market share in the UAE’s commercial vehicles space.”

The Foton-Daimler state-of-the-art plant in Beijing uses 46 robots in the assembly line, takes the vehicles through 36 stringent quality tests and follows processes that make the car body rust free for 10 years, among various other tests and controls, a company statement said.

According to James Zhu, Foton’s 2020 Strategy will see the company setting up five independent factories in key locations globally, apart from increasing the number of joint venture factories across the globe. Foton is currently engaged in setting up operations in India and Russia.

Foton manufactures light, medium and heavy duty trucks, which include tractors, dumpers and platforms. The special-purpose vehicles include oil/water tankers, bulk cement trucks, lorry cranes, municipal use trucks, concrete mixer trucks, concrete pump trucks and shipping container carriers.

The Foton-Daimler factory in China, which is a 50-50 partnership between Beiqi Foton and Daimler established in 2009, is one of the first international model plants for trucks, with an annual capacity of 200,000 vehicles, according to the statement. – TradeArabia News Service