Export Tax Rebate Shift Rewrites Industry Logic: Foton's AiYiKe E-Powertrain Fortifies Its Global Competitiveness

On October 12, China's Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration officially released an announcement: starting April 1, 2027, the VAT export rebate rate for new-energy vehicles will be reduced from 13% to 9%, covering every new-energy vehicle category, commercial vehicles included. The policy adjustment marks the formal close of the era in which Chinese new-energy vehicles won overseas markets with rebate-subsidised low prices, as the industry's growth logic accelerates a shift from "policy dividend-driven" to "core technology-driven". For the commercial vehicle sector, the degree of self-reliance achieved in the battery, motor and electronic control ("three-electric") system directly determines a company's long-term confidence in riding out policy cycles and competing globally. As China's leading commercial vehicle enterprise, BAIC Foton Motor completed the full-stack self-development of its AiYiKe three-electric system early on — the core strategic asset underpinning its "New Energy 30·50" strategy and its deep cultivation of global markets.

Strategic anchoring: self-developed e-powertrain builds the moat for transformation

As the central pillar of the "Electric · Drive" segment within Foton's AiYiKe full-domain intelligent ecosystem, the AiYiKe three-electric system is far more than a single component technology — it is the underlying architecture that supports the execution of the company's new-energy strategy. Facing the twin policy cycles of fading domestic subsidies and a lowered export tax rebate, Foton has long elevated the self-reliance of three-electric technology to the strategic level, striking at the essence of the new-energy transition: only by mastering core technology can a company truly free itself from policy dependence and supply-chain constraints, and build sustainable growth capability that does not rely on subsidies.

Built on the technology foundation of the AiYiKe three-electric system, Foton is accelerating its transformation from a "traditional commercial vehicle manufacturer" into a "full-scenario transport capacity solution provider for the new-energy era". On one hand, three-electric technology forms deep synergy with the "Smart · Ecosystem" segment — energy replenishment, vehicle connectivity and aftermarket services — connecting the entire value chain from vehicle manufacturing to operational service and extending value from "selling complete vehicles" to "selling full-scenario transport capacity". On the other, the self-developed technology architecture is compatible with multiple energy pathways including battery electric and hydrogen fuel, reserving ample room for future technology iteration and ensuring the company keeps strategic initiative amid the global energy transition.

Technology breakthrough: full-stack in-house R&D solves scenario pain points and sets new industry benchmarks

Unlike passenger cars, commercial vehicles operate under complex and highly varied duty cycles. Urban delivery, trunk-line logistics, mining and construction applications each impose vastly different demands on the three-electric system. Externally sourced, generic solutions commonly suffer from "acclimatisation" problems and struggle to meet the operating conditions and market access standards of different regions worldwide. Foton's AiYiKe three-electric system, through its "0+1+3+4+N" architecture, has achieved a dual breakthrough in technological autonomy and scenario-specific customisation.

In terms of core technology autonomy, Foton has complete command of the full-stack technology across the three core modules of battery pack, whole-vehicle electronic control and electric drive axle. Its electronic control software is entirely self-developed, creating an independent technology iteration capability. This not only removes the "chokehold" risk on core components and safeguards supply-chain stability and cost control, but also grants the autonomy to iterate technology rapidly and respond to the differentiated needs of markets at home and abroad.

In terms of scenario adaptation, powered by Foton's vehicle connectivity big-data platform, the AiYiKe three-electric system is driven by real-world operating data and stays close to actual commercial vehicle duty cycles. It spans full energy coverage from 40 kWh to 800 kWh, offers dedicated electric drive solutions across the entire product range from light trucks and vans to heavy trucks, and provides wide-temperature adaptability from −35°C to 50°C — truly delivering "a tailored technical solution for every scenario". Notably, its battery system is the first commercial vehicle traction battery in China to pass CATARC's NESTA verification for power battery safety, having withstood five extreme tests — vibration, water wading, fire exposure, impact and thermal runaway — at intensities three to seven times above the national standard. The heavy-duty electric drive axle, based on an 800V high-voltage platform and silicon carbide (SiC) technology, reaches a peak motor efficiency of 97.7%, establishing dual benchmarks of safety and efficiency for commercial vehicle e-powertrains.

Value elevation: redefining total lifecycle value and strengthening global competitive barriers

Commercial vehicles are means of production, and the value of technology must ultimately land in the operating economics of the user. With the export tax rebate being reduced, technical value translates even more directly into competitive barriers in global markets. Through innovation, the AiYiKe three-electric system comprehensively redefines users' total lifecycle value across three dimensions — cost reduction, efficiency improvement and safety assurance — while building core competitiveness for Foton's commercial vehicle exports that does not depend on price subsidies.

For end users, higher system efficiency directly lowers energy consumption per kilometre; long-life design and low-friction structures substantially reduce maintenance costs and improve vehicle availability. All-climate adaptability removes the north–south geographic constraints on operations, while a four-layer flame-retardant protection system and intelligent battery monitoring and early-warning functions safeguard operational safety. For fleet customers, the vehicle-road-cloud integrated intelligent control system enables refined energy management and digital fleet operations, unlocking further operational value.

From an industry perspective, the arrival of the AiYiKe three-electric system is pushing new-energy competition among commercial vehicles away from a "race to the bottom on price" and towards a "contest of value". Thanks to the differentiated advantages delivered by self-developed technology, Foton's new-energy vehicle sales have continued to grow year on year and its market share has kept expanding. The scale-reuse effect of in-house technology has also created a virtuous cycle of "technology breakthrough — product premium — sales growth — cost reduction — renewed R&D investment", building a technology moat that is difficult to replicate through the industry cycle of the export rebate phase-down.

Ecosystem synergy: empowering the full-domain ecosystem and opening a new journey of high-quality development

As the power core of the AiYiKe full-domain intelligent ecosystem, the value of the three-electric system extends well beyond the vehicle itself. Through technology standardisation and modular design, Foton has achieved rapid reuse of three-electric technology across its entire vehicle series, substantially shortening new product development cycles and lowering R&D and manufacturing costs. At the same time, the three-electric system interfaces deeply with energy ecosystems such as battery swapping, charging and battery banking, and links with vehicle connectivity and aftermarket services to offer users an integrated "vehicle + battery + service" solution — while also providing the technical foundation for ecosystem deployment in overseas markets.

From single-point technology breakthroughs to full-domain ecosystem empowerment, the AiYiKe three-electric system is reshaping the industrial logic of new-energy commercial vehicles. It is not only Foton Motor's strategic asset for weathering policy cycles and seizing the second half of the new-energy race, but also an important step in the advance of Chinese commercial vehicles from "product export" towards "technology export".

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