Foton to build 300,000-unit gasoline engine base

Beiqi Foton Motor, a subsidiary of Beijing Auto, is planning to build a gasoline-direct-injection engine production base in Beijing to equip the company's future commercial vehicles, local media reported today. The new engine facility will have an annual capacity of 300,000 units.

A spokesman of Foton Motor said this project has been planned for many years and is awaiting regulatory approval. Different from the company's other engine projects, the gasoline engine is independently developed by Foton and will be used for Foton's small- and medium-sized passenger vehicles in the future.

In addition to its all-new MP-X and MIDI passenger car models, Foton Motor has also developed the SUP pick and SAGA SUV series, and will launch an all-new SUV model. With commercial vehicles as its major products, the carmaker is meanwhile pushing ahead with passenger vehicle development and marketing.

Beijing Foton Cummins Engine Co., Ltd., a 50/50 joint venture between Beiqi Foton Motor and U.S-based Cummins Inc., started operation on June 9, producing Cummins 2.8-liter and 3.8-liter light-duty, high-performance ISF diesel engines, with an expected annual output of 400,000 units.

Foton already has a 200,000-unit Ollin engine production line. With all the three engine projects, the Beijing automaker expects to have the world's largest engine-production base, targeting an annual output of one million units.

Earlier this month, Foton Motor announced its plan to sell 1.5 million vehicles annually by 2015. In the first five months of this year, the car company's sales totaled 235,000 vehicles, an 8% rise year-on-year.

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