BAIC Foton and ZF Strategic Partnership Bears New Fruit: First AxTrax 2 Electric Drive Axle Rolls Off the Production Line

On June 22, the strategic partnership between BAIC Foton and ZF bore fresh fruit: the first AxTrax 2 electric drive axle rolled off the production line at the two companies' joint venture plant in Jiaxing, formally marking a decisive leap from strategy to execution and giving BAIC Foton a key voice in core new-energy components for commercial vehicles. Zhang Lan, Secretary of the Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of the Jiaxing Economic and Technological Development Zone; Chang Rui, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of BAIC Group and Chairman of BAIC Foton; Lu Zhenghua, Party Secretary and General Manager of BAIC Foton; Cui Shipeng, Deputy General Manager of BAIC Foton and Chairman of ZF Foton; and Andreas Moser, Member of the Board of Management of ZF Group and Head of the Commercial Vehicle Solutions and Industrial Technology divisions, joined several hundred guests from government, both shareholder sides, the partner network and the media to witness this milestone moment.

01  Aligning with Industry Transformation: Strategy Becomes Reality

The automotive industry is undergoing changes unseen in a century, as electrification and intelligentization sweep the globe. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's domestic commercial vehicle market is expected to stabilize at around 3.2 million units, with new-energy penetration forecast to reach 50% by 2030 and L2+-level intelligent driving to reach 30%. At the same time, geopolitical competition is reshaping the global energy supply chain, and energy self-reliance has been elevated to a strategic priority for nations, pushing the commercial vehicle industry to accelerate its shift from fuel-driven to electric drivetrains.

Grounded in a deep reading of these trends, BAIC Foton and ZF signed a strategic agreement in April 2023 to introduce ZF's latest electric drive technology to China for the first time, with production based in Jiaxing. After three years of careful construction and preparation, the AxTrax 2 electric drive axle has now officially rolled off the line at the joint venture plant, turning that strategic blueprint into reality.

As ZF's integrated e-axle platform engineered for next-generation commercial vehicles, AxTrax 2 can be applied to both medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Its modular design replaces the engine, transmission, driveshaft, differential and conventional axle to achieve full vehicle electrification. The unit that rolled off the line is equipped with a silicon carbide inverter on a platform of up to 930V, delivering 210 kW of continuous output power and peak torque of 26,000 N·m, along with a three-speed transmission and electronic shift actuator. Its compact architecture maximizes available space for battery packaging while achieving complete synchronization with the vehicle's braking, ADAS and autonomous driving systems — providing an efficient, intelligent system-level solution for the electrification of commercial vehicles.

02  Jiaxing Base Keeps Empowering: Joint Venture Reaches a New Level

Since BAIC Foton and ZF established their joint venture in Jiaxing in 2017, cooperation between the two sides has deepened continuously. To date, the BAIC Foton–ZF transmission joint venture plant has generated cumulative sales of RMB 20 billion, and with its advanced production systems and intelligent equipment, the Jiaxing base is becoming one of ZF's key manufacturing, R&D and functional headquarters sites in the Asia-Pacific region. The official roll-off of the AxTrax 2 electric drive axle is the critical step that extends the partnership from conventional transmissions into the electric drive domain.

In his address, Lu Zhenghua expressed heartfelt thanks to the Jiaxing Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, the Economic and Technological Development Zone and relevant departments for their longstanding care and support of the BAIC Foton–ZF transmission joint venture plant, and paid high tribute to the project team and all employees who worked day and night to overcome formidable challenges. He noted that the roll-off of a new product is only the first step of a long march, and put forward three expectations for the joint venture's future:

First, sustain technological leadership by fully leveraging ZF's global technology strengths and BAIC Foton's advantages in complete-vehicle application scenarios, accelerating the efficient conversion of e-axle technology from储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备储备 from technology reserves to commercial delivery.