Setting Out Again from Cologne: Foton and TÜV Rheinland Open a New Phase of Global Strategic Cooperation
Recently, BAIC Foton Automobile Co., Ltd. ("Foton") and Germany's TÜV Rheinland Group ("TÜV Rheinland") signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement in Cologne, Germany, home to TÜV Rheinland's global headquarters. The two sides will establish a regular communication mechanism covering complete vehicles, systems, components and extended industries, and will deepen cooperation in key areas including intelligent connected vehicles and data security, new energy vehicle testing and certification, market access for complete vehicles and components across multiple countries, supply chain quality assurance, and carbon footprint and other sustainability services. This marks a new stage in a cooperative relationship that has continued for more than two decades.
Representatives from both sides attended the signing ceremony, including Liu Xuguang, Executive Vice President of Foton, and Wu Zongtian, President of its Overseas Business Unit, as well as Thomas Quernheim, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Type Approval, Mobility Services, TÜV Rheinland, and Sergey Amirkhanov, Senior Vice President of Mobility Services for Central and Eastern Europe.
The signing came as the 2026 IAA TRANSPORTATION was being held in Hanover. During the exhibition, Foton held a dedicated launch event, officially announcing its European strategy, completing the delivery of its 13 millionth vehicle worldwide (an Auman Galaxy 9) to the European market, and achieving the overseas premiere of the Cavana BEACON heavy truck. Guided by the vision of "striving to become a world-class commercial vehicle enterprise," Foton has set development targets of a 50% new energy sales share and a 40% internationalization rate by 2030. As the core hub market of Foton's globalization strategy, Europe will serve as a key base for the company's brand upgrading and internationalization. TÜV Rheinland will continue to act as a long-term, reliable partner, supporting Foton in accelerating its integration into the European market and reaching new heights in globalization.
Thomas Quernheim said: "For more than two decades, TÜV Rheinland has been a trusted partner of Foton in engineering and type approval. This agreement reflects not only the depth of our cooperation but also the enormous room for future growth. As Foton advances its European strategy, TÜV Rheinland is ready to leverage its global network, regulatory expertise and testing and certification capabilities to help Foton enter Europe and other global markets more safely, more efficiently and more quickly."
Liu Xuguang said: "This in-depth exchange with TÜV Rheinland has given us a further understanding of the latest trends in European whole-vehicle type approval, regulatory differences among member states, in-service vehicle emissions conformity testing, autonomous driving approval and vehicle data compliance, providing valuable references for Foton to further refine its European business layout. In the future, Foton will continue to deepen localized development in the European market. Building on its own products, technologies and global operating capabilities, and strengthening synergy with TÜV Rheinland, we will expand the depth of cooperation in regulatory certification, technical compliance, intelligent driving and data security, and localized services, working together to help Chinese commercial vehicle enterprises enter Europe and integrate into Europe with higher-quality products and services, achieving long-term sustainable development."
Cooperation between TÜV Rheinland and Foton began in 2005, and the two parties first concluded a strategic cooperation agreement in 2017. Over more than 20 years, they have continuously deepened collaboration in global market access. TÜV Rheinland has to date supported more than 100 Foton models in completing testing and certification across many countries and regions worldwide. During this period, Foton's Key Laboratory for Energy Saving and Emission Reduction gained TÜV Rheinland accreditation, and the Electromagnetic Compatibility Laboratory of Foton's Test Center also obtained the qualification of TÜV Rheinland witness laboratory for E-mark certification.
In addition, TÜV Rheinland helped the Foton Zhilan M4 electric truck obtain EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA), achieving a major breakthrough in European Union market access, and supported a product of Foton's subsidiary — its Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) system — in obtaining a Separate Technical Unit (STU) type approval certificate, delivering further cost reduction and efficiency gains. In 2025, TÜV Rheinland was awarded the "Best Business Support Award" at Foton's Global Partner Conference, becoming the only technical service organization partner to receive this honor.
From joining hands in 2005 to today, more than two decades of accumulated mutual trust is being converted into strategic synergy for the future. Taking this signing as an opportunity, the two sides will achieve collaborative win-win outcomes at deeper levels and in broader fields, helping Foton accelerate its integration into Europe and expansion worldwide, and jointly writing a new chapter in the international development of Chinese commercial vehicle enterprises.