BAIC's Foton sees sales surge overseas in H1

BAIC Group's commercial vehicle arm Foton is gaining popularity in international markets.

The Shanghai-listed company exported 46,300 vehicles in the first half this year, up 55 percent from the same period last year.

Meng Fanyi, head of Foton's department of publicity, said the carmaker's major overseas markets are Southeast Asia, Africa and South America.

The company's trucks, pickups and new energy vehicles are gaining increasing recognition in overseas markets.

It is planning to showcase electric trucks in Germany to explore the European new energy vehicle market.

The carmaker's internal combustion engine products are already available in Europe, including Russia.

In 2018, it partnered with Italy's Piaggio Group, a popular motorbike producer, to develop light commercial vehicles for local markets.

Their first model, the Porter NP6 was unveiled in 2021. Roberto Colaninno, president of Piaggio Group, called the model a "new milestone" in the company's history.

"We will continue to strengthen our competitiveness in the light commercial vehicle market in the world", he said.

Meng said over 8,700 Porter NP6s were sold in 2021, and the figure is expected to hit 10,000 this year.

Foton is China's No 1 commercial vehicle maker, producing trucks, buses as well as pickups and engines. In the first half this year, it sold 250,000 vehicles, accounting for 14.7 percent of the market in China.

Its cumulative deliveries hit 10 million units in 2021. The carmaker said it has set a goal to double the figure in 10 years.

Foton is introducing Daimler's truck models into China via their joint venture to consolidate its position in the country's truck market. The joint venture currently produces and markets Auman-branded trucks.

"China, the world's largest truck market, is of utmost importance to us and has become one of our important markets for future growth," said Martin Daum, CEO of Daimler Truck, when the two companies announced the plan in late 2020.