Braking control systems supplier, Wabco, has signed an agreement to establish a new joint venture for vehicle control systems with FAW Jiefang Automotive Company with the aim of advancing the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicles in China. This deal includes further pushing Wabco’s single-piston air disc brake (ADB) technology in the Chinese market. The joint venture will commence with the manufacture of Wabco’s MAXX single-piston ADB from 2019.
A major focus of the joint venture will be the heavy-duty truck sector, promoting Wabco’s single-piston ADB technology for 30,000Nm applications which have a compact, lightweight design with a minimized components count.
This venture is the first step in a much broader collaboration, as Wabco and FAW Jiefang are also planning to cooperate on advanced braking systems development in the areas of autonomous driving, active safety systems and fleet management systems (FMS) to help support commercial vehicle manufacturers and fleets in China to further transform safety and efficiency.
“This new joint venture marks an important acceleration of Wabco’s collaboration with FAW Jiefang, and further strengthens the market position of two industry leaders in China,” said Sujie Yu, vice president, Asia-Pacific and business leader China at Wabco.
“Proud of our reputation as the ‘cradle of China’s auto industry’, FAW Jiefang is committed to building the ‘most trusted truck brand’ by accelerating our twin strategies of independent development and proactive collaboration with the world’s most advanced technology leaders. Uniquely combining our respective strengths, our joint venture with Wabco represents a powerful alliance between two leading brands,” said Hu Hanjie, chairman of FAW Jiefang Automobile. “Our close partnership with Wabco will add new momentum to FAW Jiefang’s future development which will help propel China’s commercial vehicle industry towards an intelligent, lightweight, low-carbon and safer future.”
