Foton last month held its “Global Brand Rejuvenation and All-New Product Launch” event, an offshoot of what China’s leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles did in August during the celebration of the company’s 27th year.
During that occasion, Foton Motor Group chair Chang Rui urged everyone to start focusing on dual-carbon strategy, new energy strategy, digital ecosystem construction, globalization, and a refreshed brand strategy.
The initial products from that event were presented before 63 distributors, customers and members of the media coming from 22 countries worldwide.
At Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province and where Foton’s Super Truck Plant is located, guests were allowed to view the all-new Aumark light duty truck as well as the Wonder, an all-new generation mini truck.
The two models represent the company’s goal to achieve “Dual Carbon” strategy with a target to peak carbon emissions by 2028, and attain carbon neutrality at its core factories by 2035.
In 2024, Foton will release its first social and governance or ESG report and aims to achieve full value chain carbon neutrality by 2050. Carbon neutrality is reached when the same amount of CO2 is released into the atmosphere and removed by various means, leaving a zero balance.
‘Future Truck’ platform
After four generations of product iterations, the Aumark has evolved significantly in terms of platform, reliability, efficiency, and safety. The all-new Aumark is based on Foton’s “Future Truck,” the company’s latest multi-energy sharing platform, which highlights modularity, integration and a low-carbon feature.
The Future Truck platform of Aumark will enable Foton to simultaneous launch products in four major categories: fuel, hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cell.
In addition, the Aumark which is manufactured at Foton’s Super Truck Plant, incorporates new technologies including the polyurea spraying process, which strengthens rust and corrosion resistance by 50 percent.
The Aumark also has a structure design that meets the highest safety collision standard of ECE-R29 (the European standard which tests a truck’s front impact, roof strength and rear wall strength).
Wonder, on the other hand, is Foton’s all-new generation mini truck designed for lifestyle travel, personalized modifications, and commercial needs. It offers what the company calls as a fresh “SMART” experience.
As defined by the truckmaker, “SMART stands for Smart cabin design for responsive movement and smooth shifting; Money-saving for total cost of ownership; Aesthetic for fashion design; Reliable for on-time delivery; and ‘comforT for driver comfort.”
Fuel and EV
The Wonder will be available in both fuel and electric versions, with the electric version capable of a 48-minute charging time. It could travel 280 kilometers on a full charge.
Foton Motor Philippines Inc. general manager Levy Santos, who was at the October event, shared that the company is set to bring the Wonder next year to the country.
With its spacious truck bed, the Wonder can be customized in various configurations like a food truck, a small stage for events and a mini carrier which Foton Philippines will be displaying in its future events.
The electric versions of Aumark and Wonder use batteries developed by CATL of China, the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery maker. Accelerating to establish multiple technological routes for new energy vehicles, Foton partnered with CATL to establish business operations related to new energy battery leasing services.
The partnership is part of Foton’s aim to build a new energy industry ecosystem which include manufacturing vehicles, building charging infrastructure, setting up of structures for harnessing solar energy, and energy storage as well as intelligent grid integration.
In the future, Foton will continue to introduce new brands with electric drive systems, hybrid engines, hydrogen power and more.
