Chinese truck maker to boost Mexico presence with eye on US market
- Mexican states of Jalisco and Aguascalientes being considered for plant expected to make traditional internal combustion and electric vehicles, and be operational in 2025
- Foton plans to become the Mexican partner for Contemporary Amperex Technology to provide technical support, repairs and recycling for its batteries in the country
Chinese truck maker Beiqi Foton Motor is planning a second plant in Mexico to manufacture electric vehicles with an eye on US exports.
The plant’s location has yet to be decided, said Roberto Talavera, director of electric vehicles at Foton in Mexico, but the states of Jalisco and Aguascalientes – already home to a number of major automotive facilities – are being carefully considered. The plant is expected to produce traditional internal combustion and electric vehicles, and be operational in 2025.
Beijing-based Foton, which specialises in commercial vehicles, is also preparing to become the Mexican partner for Contemporary Amperex Technology, or CATL, the world’s biggest maker of EV batteries. It will provide technical support, repairs and recycling for CATL’s batteries in the country.
Representatives from CATL declined to comment.
The Mexico collaboration represents a further deepening of ties between the two Chinese companies. In 2022, Foton and CATL announced plans to establish a joint venture in China for battery rentals under a model known as battery-as-a-service, which allows customers to lease batteries separately from vehicles.