China Commercial Vehicle Export & Axle Industry Weekly

Coverage Window: August 21 – August 27, 2026 | English Edition | Yihe Axles Industry Research

This week, four Chinese automakers (Foton, Chery, BYD, JAC) and Farizon all reached new milestones. ZF's AxTrax 2 e-axle started mass production at its Jiaxing plant — the first foreign Tier-1 to do so in China. China's mandatory GB 36980.1 EV energy-consumption standard continues to reshape axle and PACK design.

1. Commercial Vehicle Export: Four Chinese Brands Hit New Records

Foton Motor — Overseas Sales Surge +90.7% YoY

• July 2026 total sales: 51,784 units (+12.6% YoY)
• July overseas sales: +90.7% YoY — nearly 2.5× industry average
• Jan–Jul cumulative: 412,188 units (+10.4% YoY)
• NEV July sales: 11,288 units | Jan–Jul NEV cumulative: 70,383 units (+21.48% YoY)
• Strategic note: advancing second EV production plant in Mexico for U.S. export

Chery Group — First Chinese Automaker Past 1.1M Exports YTD

• Jan–Jul cumulative exports: 1,146,350 units (+71.2% YoY)
• July exports: 202,533 units (+70.1% YoY) — ranked No.9 globally by sales share (4.1%), tied with Ford
• Europe (24 countries): +212% YoY
• Global cumulative users: >20.16M | overseas users: >6.99M
• 23 consecutive years as China's #1 passenger-car exporter; gained voting rights in international auto-standard revision
• Reverse-rollout strategy: Fulwin T7 (exported as LEPAS L6) debuts abroad before domestic presale

BYD — Japan RACCO Breakthrough; ~970K Overseas Units YTD

• RACCO launched in Japan July 28; >1,002 orders within two weeks
• Jan–Jul overseas passenger + pickup sales: ~970,000 units
• July overseas: 180,500 units (+123.6% YoY); export ratio 43.1%
• BYD T9T 49-ton heavy-duty e-truck: claimed 400 km range per charge
• Tech-licensing model: e-platform 3.0 → Toyota; blade battery → Hyundai; EV charging standard adopted by 7 ASEAN countries
• H1 2026 overseas revenue: RMB 310.7B (38.65% of total)

JAC Group — Steady Growth; EV Pickup Exports +70%

• July total: 28,605 units (+13.53% YoY) | Jan–Jul: 200,991 units
• EV passenger July: 1,277 units (−33.66% YoY)
• Pickup exports: +70% YoY momentum

Farizon Auto — World's First NEV CV Brand to Hit 600,000 Units

• Aug 10: 600,000th NEV CV (Xinghan H Europe Edition) rolled off line
• 4 consecutive years as China's #1 NEV CV seller; Jan–Jul sales 107,589 units
• H1 2026 export: +123% YoY | July overseas shipments: +13.2% YoY
• 2030 target: 1 million annual sales

2. Electric Drive Axle & Powertrain Highlights

ZF AxTrax 2 — Mass Production at Jiaxing Plant

ZF officially began mass production of its fully integrated coaxial e-axle AxTrax 2 at its Jiaxing plant in July 2026 — the first foreign Tier-1 to mass-produce a new-generation heavy-truck e-axle in China. Direct competition with HANDB, Fangsheng, and BYD's in-house systems.

Sinotruk HOWO 513 kWh Electric-Axle Tractor

Flagship electric-axle tractor with integrated e-axle + under-floor battery architecture — lowers center of gravity, balances axle load. Battery does not encroach on cargo space. Standard native 360° panoramic view for long-haul safety.

FAW Jiefang Light Central Integrated High-Speed E-Axle (CAR4E060-01)

• Rated axle load: 4 t | Self-weight: 305 kg | Hydraulic disc brake
• Compact light-CV e-axle solution — benchmark for light-CV electrification

Geely Leishen 16-in-1 Ultra-Integrated Smart E-Drive

• World's first 16-in-1 ultra-integrated smart e-drive (Geely × StarDrive)
• Consolidates 16 core functions: motor, electronic controls, reducer, etc.
• 93.8% efficiency (CLTC) | 75 kg weight | 800V platform

Hendrickson × Driventic — ELECTRAAX (ACT Expo, May 2026)

High-efficiency, lightweight e-axle for Class 6–7 school bus and medium-duty trucks. Up to 94% system-level efficiency. Reduces overall vehicle weight up to 357 lb vs traditional configurations. Externally mounted motor for easier servicing; full motor-torque regenerative braking.

3. Axle Lightweighting: Policy-Driven Acceleration

GB 36980.1 Mandatory EV Energy-Consumption Standard

Effective January 2026. Tiered kWh/100km limits by curb weight — overweight models risk failing homologation.

• 10% weight reduction → 5–8% range gain, 0.3–0.4 kWh/100km savings
• Drives aluminum-for-aluminum adoption: Hongqiao/Guoke Light Metal NEV heavy-truck battery PACK achieves 28% lightweighting
• ADC12 housing: single-part −50% weight, −25% cost

Handa 3.5T Central Integrated Electric Drive Axle

• >50 kg weight reduction vs traditional direct-drive solution
• 8% higher transmission efficiency via optimized efficiency curves
• Oil-change interval extended to 300,000 km; wheel-hub bearings lifetime maintenance-free

Material Roadmap

• Entry: high-strength steel (15–25% reduction)
• Mid: steel-aluminum hybrid bodies (30–40% per-part reduction)
• High-end: aluminum + magnesium + carbon fiber (magnesium −33% vs aluminum)

Fujian IronChiMa — Lightweight Axle Patent Secured

Patent CN116748461B: "Lightweight Axle Manufacturing Method with Weight-Reduction Structure"