Chinese commercial vehicle manufacturer Beiqi Foton Motor Company has signed an agreement with local electric vehicle (EV) charging company Teld New Energy Company to establish a joint venture focused on establishing and operating a network of charging stations for heavy-duty trucks across China. The new company will also engage in selling heavy-duty truck charging piles in overseas markets.

The new joint venture aims to have 25 charging stations in place in strategic locations across China by the end of 2025, focusing initially on Shanxi and Hebei provinces. It plans to use Foton’s V2X platform and Teld's charging platform to collect and process data from charging operations using AI-driven analytics, with the aim of generating real-time battery diagnostics to help provide aftermarket services for new energy commercial vehicles.

Foton said the partnership will accelerate its transition to a "Vehicle + Energy Services 2.0" business model, which it expects will help it strengthen its commercial vehicle electrification process. Foton already has a broad range of electrified commercial vehicles, including battery, hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles.