Shaanxi Fast Auto Drive Group Company FY2007
Business Highlights
- The Company's production volume of transmission systems used in heavy-duty vehicles exceeded 430,000 units, which is the largest volume in the world. Among other items, the company's 12-speed and 16-speed fully synchronized twin countershaft transmission systems it recently developed in-house enjoyed strong demand, with monthly sales of 6,000 units (average monthly volume of exports was 1,000 units), becoming the company's new flagship products.
Weichai Power becoming the largest shareholder of Shaanxi Fast Gear Co., Ltd.
- In April 2007, Weichai Power Co., Ltd., a leading engine manufacturer in China, absorbed Torch Automobile Group. As a result, Weichai Power acquired the majority share, namely 51 percent, in Shaanxi Fast Gear Co., Ltd., which is a transmission production company established between the Company and the Torch Automobile Group in 2001.
Business alliance
- In August 2007, the Company and Baotou North-Benz Heavy-Duty Truck Co., Ltd. came to agreement on the framework to form a strategic business alliance. The two companies intend to form a comprehensive business alliance in the area of research and development and technical services. The signing ceremony took place in Beijing.
Calling off joint-venture project with Eaton
- In 2007, the Company and Eaton Corporation of the U.S.A called off their joint-venture agreement and dissolved Eaton Fast Gear (Xi'an) Co., Ltd., which they established in 2004.
Having introduced Eaton's Fuller Twin Countershaft Transmission technology in 1984, the Company has been seeking ways to continue collaborating with Eaton, while increasing its capabilities to develop its own technology. As the two parties failed to reach a consensus over this strategy, they decided to cancel their joint-venture agreement.
R&D
<Recent development>
In 2007, the company worked on developing automatic manual transmissions
for heavy-duty vehicles. These activities form a part of the National
863 Project, a high technology development program China is promoting.
<R&D structure>
- The Company's total amount of R&D spending per year is equivalent
to approximately 5 percent of its overall sales.
- The total number of R&D staff as of December 2007 is 500
R&D Facilities
Facility |
Gear & Driveline Research Institute |
Processing Research Institute |
Product Test Labs |
Multi-condition test road for trucks |
New facility (under construction)
Facility | Remarks |
Shaanxi Fast Auto Drive Engineering Technology Research Center | - This facility is being constructed jointly with Jilin University and Shaanxi Industrial Technology Research Institute |
Investment Activities
Project | Planned amount of investment | Status (as of Dec. 2007) |
Building automatic forging lines in Caijiapo, Baoji City |
400 million yuan |
The facility is almost completed |
Establishing the Shaanxi Fast Auto Drive Engineering Technology Research Center |
600 million yuan |
This facility is under construction |