Capital Equipment News April 2015

FAW TIGER RANGE PRODUCTION LAUNCH at the Coega

B uilding on its impressive record of ‘firsts’ this will again mark a moment in FAW’s local history when it starts full production of the Tiger range at the Coega-based production plant. Yusheng Zhang, CEO of FAW Vehicle Manu- facturers SA, says: “FAW continues its trend- setting path in local truck manufacture. Not only have we managed to produce our FAW trucks at the best quality levels, comparable – if not better - than our FAW parent compa- ny in China - but we’ve been able to do so in a very short period considering our plant became fully operational from July last year only. Since our Body Building Facility was com- mission in January we have also been build- ing tipper bodies from SKD packs imported from our parent plant in China, and providing finished tipper trucks to our growing pool of customers.” While the first FAW ‘full-bodied’ tippers roll off the lines at the assembly plant and body shop, the production team is already assess- ing the viability of producing drop-side bodies for their range of robust and durable vehicles spanning the heavy and extra-heavy com- mercial vehicle ranges on offer in Southern Africa.

“The FAW Tiger will be a ‘true-blood’ South African, built locally and uniquely engineered for the African environment. “For the introductory phase we will com- mence with a 5 ton payload dropside body, which will provide for the lowest cost per ton on the market. “The tiger will carry all the hallmarks that FAW trucks stand for – strength, reliability, easy operation and most importantly – de- livering on the promise of a ‘truck built for Africa, in Africa.” According the FAW management team, the rationale for introducing a medium weight range is to satisfy customer requests for a vehicle as durable and rugged as FAW heavy and extra-heavy trucks, but with the dimen- sions to handle a different working environ- ment, calling for smaller sized vehicles. “FAW pays attention to what customers are telling us. This is why we are extending our local offering to this weight category. We be- lieve this segment of the market has great potential and opportunity for growth,” says Zhang.

be fitted with the best drivetrain and will in- clude global componentry from the USA and Europe. “This new FAW Tiger may have been bred in China, and trained through international part- ners, but in South Africa it will find its true home.” b

“Without giving too much detail before the official launch, suffice to say the Tiger will

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS APRIL 2015 38