On 19 October 2023 – The Vice President of Foton Motor Group, Ma Rentao and the CEO of Piaggio & C. S.p.A. (PIA.MI), Michele Colaninno signed a contract in Beijing for the joint development of a new range of electrically powered Porter vehicles. The signing ceremony was attended by Chang Rui, Chairman of Foton Motor Group, Chairman of the Piaggio Group Board of Directors, Matteo Colaninno. Both parties will collaborate to develop new energy products and enter the high-standard EU market, jointly providing electrification solutions for the European light commercial vehicle market.
This will extend the Piaggio range of commercial vehicles with two new four-wheel electric variants, designed to meet the specific needs of intra-city mobility, with a combination of compact dimensions and a payload capacity of at least one tonne, particularly high for this class of vehicle. The new range of electric Porter models will be manufactured in Italy, in the Piaggio Group’s Pontedera factory. Marketing will begin by the end of 2024 in the main European countries through a network of dealers who specialise in sale and support services for commercial vehicles, for maximum customer satisfaction.
The new electric Porter vehicles will feature innovative cybersecurity solutions and active and passive vehicle safety systems, including advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). The new content will also be made available on the Porter combustion models.
The two parties established a partnership back in May 2018 to develop and produce new light commercial vehicle products for the European market based on FOTON’s mini-truck product platform. After more than two years of joint development, the parties’ first city truck, the NP6, was launched in Europe on 26 January 2021, fully meeting European standards. This new agreement further consolidates the long-standing relationship between the two companies and highlights FOTON’s technological advancement and leadership in the commercial vehicle sector.
It’s known that the European Union reached a deal to effectively ban new combustion-engine cars from 2035, which means that the European new energy vehicle market is shifting into the fast lane. FOTON has already met its standards for new energy technology, product quality and supply chain. As an access card to the European market, WVTA is internationally recognized as one of the most valuable certification systems in the world and accepted throughout the EU without the need for further testing. A range of FOTON’s new energy products, including pure electric light duty truck, VANs and buses, have received WVTA certification and have been put into operation in countries like Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
It’s understood that FOTON is also gradually improving its operation, sales and service network in Europe. In the coming years, FOTON will strive to achieve breakthroughs in European markets such as Italy, Poland and Germany, and gradually seize the European new energy market by building up an industrial chain in the high-end market with the help of its new energy technology.
