Articles

On June 22, BAIC Foton and ZF Friedrichshafen reached a new milestone in their strategic partnership as the first AxTrax 2 electric drive axle rolled off the line at their joint-venture plant in Jiaxing. The product, featuring a 930V silicon carbide inverter, 210 kW continuous output, and 26,000 N·m peak torque, marks a key step in BAIC Foton's push for core new-energy component self-sufficiency and supports the commercial vehicle industry's transition from fuel-driven to electric-drive powertrains.

BAIC Foton and ZF Friedrichshafen celebrated the rollout of the first AxTrax 2 electric drive axle at their joint venture factory in Jiaxing, China, on June 22, marking a significant milestone in their strategic partnership. The AxTrax 2 platform features a 930V silicon carbide inverter delivering 210 kW continuous power and 26,000 N·m peak torque, designed for medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. This achievement represents BAIC Foton's transition from traditional powertrain collaboration to next-generation electric drive technology, supporting China's commercial vehicle industry in accelerating its shift from fuel-driven to electric-driven systems as part of the 15th Five-Year Plan goals.

A blown cylinder head gasket at a Ghana granite quarry proves that cooling system neglect costs African fleets far more than any mechanical failure. Part 1 of this series breaks down the six core components of closed-loop cooling systems on HOWO, Shacman and XCMG heavy trucks — radiator, thermostat, water pump, fan clutch, expansion tank and pipelines — and explains how each one fails under tropical dust and heavy loads.

This second half of our cooling system series examines the region-specific failure modes that destroy heavy-truck engines on African mining and construction sites — dust blockage, coolant scale, invisible air locks and slipping fan clutches. It also exposes the everyday maintenance mistakes that cause over 70% of cooling system damage, and provides a practical daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual inspection schedule for site fleets.