Foton Motor’s CAVAN puts Lefu model onto market, unveils Beacon heavy-duty concept truck

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On December 21, CAVAN Auto (CAVAN), a new energy commercial vehicle brand jointly owned by Foton Motor, Bosch, SinoHytec, and BAIC Capital, put the Lefu (name in Chinese pinyin) model onto the market and unveiled the heavy-duty concept truck, the Beacon. Additionally, CAVAN announced strategic partnerships with several leading logistics companies.

Photo credit:  Foton Motor

The Lefu model features an eight-in-one integrated electric drive system, achieving an energy consumption of 14.2 kWh per 100 km and a driving range of 460 km, meeting both urban and intercity operations.

The model comes standard with an 8.8-inch full LCD instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch touchscreen that can enlarge the smartphone interface to the same scale.

The Lefu adopts a 360-degree cage-like body structure with seven safety rings, ensuring uniform force distribution. The front longitudinal beam, anti-collision beam, and integral door ring are made of 1500Mpa thermo-formed steel, while other longitudinal and transverse beams are made of high-strength steel, accounting for over 63% of the total. The exterior panels are made of Shougang Group's new generation of high-strength body panels, improving safety performance by 30%.

The Lefu is equipped with semi-solid-state batteries that enhance safety by raising the thermal runaway threshold from 500°C to 700°C. Additionally, the vehicle offers intelligent features like EHB (electro-hydraulic brake) for rapid and consistent stopping power and ESC (electronic stability control) system for smooth driving on curves and challenging terrains.

In terms of intelligent driving, the Lefu comes with three levels of intelligent driving solutions. The basic version includes 13 functions tailored to address insurance challenges, while advanced versions enable L2+ intelligent driving with 23 features, ensuring smooth operation in various road conditions.

Lefu model; photo credit:  Foton Motor

As a commercial vehicle, the Lefu adopts a One-box design concept, optimizing operational efficiency. Compared to its peers, the model boasts a larger cargo space, accommodating 10% more goods and generating an additional annual income of 19,000 yuan, said the automaker. It also offers a spacious cabin, accomodating drivers up to 1.85 meters tall with ease. The cargo area connects seamlessly to the under-seat space, extending the 7-cubic-meter cargo compartment length from 2.8 meters to 3.3 meters.

The vehicle features a cargo bed and mid-door of 500mm and 470mm, respectively, enhancing loading efficiency. It is equipped with a sliding side door opening of 1,100mm, a rear door opening of 1,400mm in length and 1,320mm in width, and a wheel arch of 1,250mm, allowing for easy pallet placement and efficient forklift operations. At the base of the cargo compartment side wall, eight fixed hooks are designed, along with a custom-developed cargo trolley. The co-driver's seat has been widened by 50%, extending to a length of 600mm when reclined. The vehicle is also equipped with a 220V power outlet and two USB ports and offers 13 storage compartments.

For medium-to-short-haul logistics, CAVAN is developing an efficient and low-energy consumption pure electric heavy-duty truck platform with a range exceeding 500 km. For long-haul scenarios, the company aims to build a hydrogen-powered heavy-duty truck platform with gaseous-hydrogen-powered trucks achieving over 500 km and liquid-hydrogen-powered trucks exceeding 1,100 km in range.