Major listed companies of special purpose vehicles: Foton, Jianghuai Automobile (JAC), Changan Automobile, Dongfeng Motor, Sany Heavy Industry, China National Heavy Duty Truck (Sinotruk)
Core data of this article: R&D investment and share, operating income of special vehicles, production and sales volume, sales region share
All-round comparison of leading enterprises in China’s special-purpose vehicle industry.
Currently, there are several well-known companies in the Chinese special purpose vehicle market, of which the three leading companies are China National Heavy Duty Truck, Dongfeng Motor, and Foton Motor.
According to the company’s official website, the business or product types of China National Heavy Duty Truck, Dongfeng Motor, and Foton Motor are all mainly special purpose vehicles. Among them, China National Heavy Duty Truck is mainly engaged in the manufacture and sale of heavy-duty special vehicles, while Dongfeng Motor’s production focuses on light commercial vehicles and Foton Motor has a comprehensive layout of light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks. And according to the company’s 2020 annual report, China Heavy Duty’s heavy truck sales are leading in the country, Foton’s light trucks remain number one in the industry, while Dongfeng Motor is actively innovating technologies related to special purpose vehicle manufacturing.
Foton Motor: The layout history of the special purpose vehicle business.
In 1996, Foton Motor was established; in 1999, Foton Motor ranked first in the country in light truck sales; since 2003, Foton Motor has made a large number of commercial vehicle base layouts, such as Beijing Ouman Base, Beijing Cummins Base, and New Energy Industrial Park; since 2006, the company has been cooperating with representative manufacturers of power system manufacturing at home and abroad to develop and design power systems that closely fit Foton Motor’s products; in 2020, Foton Motor rushed to the center of the epidemic storm for emergency production of special vehicles for medical and construction purposes.
Foton Motor: Current development of special vehicle business segments
–Heavy trucks and medium trucks as their main products
At present, Foton has 10 kinds of special purpose vehicle products. From the current main product types, Foton’s main products are still heavy trucks and medium trucks with different functions. According to the company’s annual report, 2020 is the closing year of Foton’s “three-year action plan”, and the whole company will focus on the mainline of high-quality development and vigorously develop its main business of heavy trucks, medium trucks, light trucks, micro trucks, vans, pickups, etc.
—New energy, high-end, and lightweight as R&D pursuit targets
From 2018 to 2020, the company’s R&D investment will increase year by year while the ratio of R&D investment will decrease year by year. The R&D investment is still growing every year, and the growth of operating revenue is greater than the R&D investment. To a certain extent, Fountain Set attaches importance to product development and upgrading.
According to the company’s annual report, in order to enhance product competitiveness, Foton will increase investment in technical research and development of new products such as high-end heavy trucks, high-end medium trucks, high-end light trucks, mid-range pickups, mid-range light buses, and new energy, intelligent network connection, lightweight, scenario research, etc., to develop a number of outstanding “fist” products to further expand the market and meet the diversified needs of customers, so as to enhance product competitiveness and market share.