Zhang Da: Seize the momentum and move forward, driving innovation with dual engines to build a new ecosystem for the transformation of the commercial vehicle industry.

Topic: 2026 Commercial Vehicle Industry Development Conference

From March 25 to 27, 2026, the 2026 Commercial Vehicle Industry Development Conference was held in Shiyan City, Hubei Province. This conference was hosted by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, with the theme of “Green Transformation, Intelligent Empowerment, and Integrated Development — Riding the Trend to Build a New Ecosystem Together.” During the “Opening Ceremony and General Meeting” held on the morning of March 26, Zhang Da, Deputy General Manager of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd., delivered a speech.

The following is a transcript of the speech:

Leaders, colleagues, and friends:

Good morning, everyone!

It is a great honor to attend the 2026 China Commercial Vehicle Forum and gather with old and new friends in the “Capital of China’s Commercial Vehicles,” Shiyan, to discuss the era’s proposition of “Energy Transition, Intelligent Empowerment, New Requirements and New Paths for the Development of Commercial Vehicles under New Circumstances.” First of all, on behalf of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd., I would like to extend the warmest welcome to leaders, experts, and colleagues who have traveled from afar, and express my sincere gratitude to all friends who have long cared for and supported the development of the commercial vehicle industry and the construction of the Shiyan automotive industry cluster! Thank you all for your continuous attention and support!

In 2026, coinciding with the concluding phase of the “14th Five-Year Plan” and the initiation of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” Shiyan, as the birthplace of Dongfeng and the capital of China’s commercial vehicles, is writing a “Shiyan Answer” for high-quality industrial development with the strong capability of the entire industrial chain, under the strategic guidance of Hubei Province accelerating the construction of a national pilot zone for a new development pattern.

Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle is also acutely aware of its mission and responsibilities. With the support of an excellent local business environment and the overarching leadership of the Group’s Commercial Vehicle Division, it is seizing the opportunity presented by the launch of a series of intelligent industrial projects on the sixth-generation new platform product, vigorously promoting the industry’s leap towards high-end, intelligent, green, and international development, striving to contribute Dongfeng value to the enhancement of Hubei’s automotive industry cluster and inject strong momentum.

Currently, the commercial vehicle industry is at a new historical juncture. Industrial upgrades, demand structure, and competition landscape are accelerating their evolution in unprecedented ways and logic, intertwining opportunities and challenges, with pressure and drive coexisting. Only by accurately assessing trends can we seize the initiative amidst change.

From the market tone, stability with progress is the core state. Driven by the policy dividends released from the successful conclusion of the “14th Five-Year Plan” and the expectations of the layout of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” China’s economy is showing a basic trend of stability and improvement in the long term. In particular, the continuous promotion of building a strong transportation nation, the new round of infrastructure investment increase, and the deepening of equipment renewal actions have injected strong momentum into the commercial vehicle market. It is expected that in the coming years, the demand scale of the medium and heavy-duty truck market will remain stable at 1.1 to 1.2 million units, with restorative growth and high-quality development becoming the main theme of the industry.

From the competitive landscape, transformation pressure is forcing accelerated upgrades. Currently, the industry is embroiled in price wars, channel wars, and brand wars, putting considerable pressure on business operations. However, what is more noteworthy is that the focus of competition is shifting from “scale competition” to “value competition.” Customers are increasingly demanding new energy, intelligence, cost-effectiveness, and reliability from products, and purchasing decisions are becoming more rational and cautious. At the same time, intensified global competition, deepening “dual carbon” objectives, and the evolution of artificial intelligence, along with new requirements for supply chain security and quality improvement, compel enterprises to break free from homogeneous competition and shift towards technological innovation, ecological collaboration, and value creation.

From the demand structure, two major trends are reshaping the market landscape. Looking back at the industry data for 2025, the characteristics of structural changes in the market have become increasingly apparent, with scenario-based demand becoming the core support for industrial growth in two main directions. First, the new energy market continues to heat up, with a penetration rate surpassing 30%. Multiple technological routes such as pure electric and hydrogen fuel are developing in parallel, and scenario-based demand is becoming increasingly prominent; new energy heavy-duty trucks have become the core engine driving overall growth, with battery swap models becoming mainstream choices due to their efficient energy replenishment advantages, and hydrogen fuel commercial vehicles demonstrating operations in enclosed scenarios such as ports and steel parks; electric heavy-duty trucks are rapidly penetrating high-frequency fixed-route scenarios in ports and mines due to their advantages in total lifecycle costs. Second, the overseas market is steadily expanding, thanks to the promotion of the “Belt and Road” initiative and the enhanced competitiveness of domestic commercial vehicle brands, it is expected that the export scale of China’s commercial vehicles will peak during the “15th Five-Year Plan.” In 2025, China’s commercial vehicle exports surpassed one million units for the first time, with new energy commercial vehicle exports reaching 83,000 units, becoming a new highlight of export growth. As overseas market access requirements increase, local production has become an inevitable trend, with regions such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Central Asia introducing policies to promote localization. Chinese commercial vehicle companies are accelerating their overseas factory layouts, transitioning from trade exports to empowering the industry through technological output and ecological collaboration, injecting new momentum into the green upgrade of the global commercial vehicle industry.

In the face of industry transformation, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle firmly implements national strategic deployments, taking on the mission of the “national team,” anchoring on the dual-core drives of “new energy transition” and “intelligent empowerment,” and accelerating technological innovation, product upgrades, and ecological construction, achieving a series of phased results. I would like to take this opportunity to share some reports with everyone.

First, three technological routes are running in parallel, laying a solid foundation for the new energy transition. We have always adhered to a comprehensive layout of three routes: pure electric, hydrogen fuel, and hybrid, and under the support of the Group’s core “three electrics” technology platform, we have completed the planning and implementation of the new energy technology route, with the localization rate of key components reaching over 95%, responding to national autonomous controllability strategic requirements.

In the pure electric field: We focus on customers’ actual operating scenarios, continuously improving the pure electric product matrix, and striving to solve industry pain points. First, we have increased investment in independent research and development, accelerating the development of the new generation of pure electric product platform and independently controlling core three electrics assemblies to enhance product core competitiveness comprehensively; second, we have collaborated with Huawei to jointly develop ultra-fast charging products, achieving breakthroughs in megawatt-level ultra-fast charging technology, replenishing 80% of energy in just 20 minutes, effectively addressing energy replenishment anxiety for pure electric vehicles; third, we have partnered with industry-leading companies such as CATL and QiYuan to implement battery bank projects, actively exploring the vehicle-battery separation operation model to flexibly meet the differentiated operational needs of different scenarios/customers. In 2025, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle’s new energy sales increased by 98% year-on-year, successfully breaking through the ten-thousand-unit mark, taking a crucial step in the new energy transition.

In the hydrogen fuel field: As the core carrier of the Group’s hydrogen fuel technology industrialization, we are undertaking the key project of “National Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration Application,” adhering to the approach of “demonstration operation first, technology iteration follow-up,” accelerating the product iteration of hydrogen fuel vehicles and the reserve of core technologies. Currently, hydrogen fuel vehicles have conducted demonstration operations in regions such as Xiong’an New Area and Han-Yi Expressway, having undergone multiple rounds of competitiveness improvements, and have now iterated to the third generation of models, accumulating an operating mileage of 7 million kilometers, fully validating the reliability and scenario adaptability of the products; at the same time, we are actively expanding overseas markets, launching the Dongfeng Tianlong GX hydrogen fuel tractor for the European market, which meets EU regulatory certification in safety and emissions standards, successfully entering the leading ranks of the international market with high quality and high reliability, further enhancing the international competitiveness of China’s commercial vehicle hydrogen fuel technology.

In the hybrid field: We focus on dual-core goals of energy conservation and efficiency, accurately matching mainstream operating scenarios such as medium and long-distance and mountainous areas, launching two main models: the Dongfeng Tianlong KX dual-energy hybrid tractor and the Dongfeng Tianlong KL range-extended hybrid tractor. Among them, the Tianlong KX dual-energy hybrid tractor is equipped with the Longqing gas engine + Green Control electric motor intelligent dual-energy power system, which can automatically switch to the optimal working mode based on real-time road conditions, achieving a comprehensive fuel-saving rate of up to 10% under complex mountainous conditions, reducing operating costs for customers; the Tianlong KL range-extended hybrid tractor features advantages such as pure electric starting, idle shutdown, energy recovery during braking, and integrated thermal management. Currently, both hybrid models have commenced small-scale demonstration operations, accumulating rich actual operation data and laying a solid foundation for subsequent large-scale promotion.

Second, deep digital intelligence empowers and activates new momentum for industrial development.

We insist on promoting the deep integration of intelligent technology with products and services.

In intelligent assisted driving: Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle is one of the earliest commercial vehicle brands in China and has the most applications of ADAS assisted driving functions. It has completed mass production and commercial application of the L2+ level intelligent driving system, achieving functions such as automatic cruise, lane keeping, and automatic emergency braking under highway conditions; L4 level port container trucks and unmanned mining trucks have also entered normalized operation testing in ports and mining areas, providing “Dongfeng solutions” for the industry’s intelligent development.

In the digital ecosystem: We are building an integrated digital ecosystem of “vehicle-road-cloud,” creating a fault rate center, upgrading vehicle assurance from “passive repair” to “proactive service” through real-time data monitoring, fault early warning, and remote diagnosis; we have co-established an intelligent driving joint research center with Tsinghua University to build an innovation ecosystem that integrates “industry-university-research-application,” using Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle’s real vehicle data from high-speed scenarios to complete simulation verification, optimizing predictive decision algorithms, and achieving breakthroughs in key technologies for the commercial vehicle intelligent assisted driving system; we are integrating AI and big data into intelligent driving research and development while launching customized intelligent logistics solutions to precisely match customers’ cost-reduction and efficiency-increasing needs.

In intelligent manufacturing: We have built the world’s largest single heavy-duty commercial vehicle intelligent factory, achieving 100% fully automated production in the body welding and painting processes, with a coverage rate of 85% for laser welding technology, a 40% increase in welding strength, and a weld precision of ±0.1mm, promoting energy conservation and consumption reduction in the manufacturing process by over 30%; we have completed the landing of a new generation modular global platform, compatible with multiple energy routes and five major global regulatory systems; leveraging technologies such as digital twins and industrial internet, we have broken down data barriers across R&D, production, and testing processes, achieving visualization, traceability, and controllability of the production process; promoting precise control of trial production quality and intelligent enhancement of processes, deepening digital transformation, empowering manufacturing capability upgrades with digital intelligence tools, and achieving a leap from “traditional manufacturing” to “intelligent manufacturing,” providing a solid guarantee for product reliability.

Third, driven by the “three leaps,” we comprehensively promote green and low-carbon transformation.

We always establish green and low-carbon as the core DNA of our survival and development, striving to become the “pioneer” of local green manufacturing, the “chain leader” of low-carbon industrial chains, and the “forerunner” of carbon neutrality in the transportation sector.

Through building green factories, creating green supply chains, carrying out carbon management throughout the product lifecycle, and co-constructing the “vehicle-energy-road-cloud” ecosystem, we systematically promote compliance with environmental emission standards and energy conservation and emissions reduction. In particular, we have invested heavily and achieved phased results in VOCs governance and electrification of mobile sources. We have achieved full electrification of in-plant logistics forklifts; completely banned logistics vehicles with National IV and below emissions; established an access control system fully compliant with heavy pollution weather performance grading requirements; on September 17, 2025, we launched a green logistics transportation route for powertrains, with the first phase involving 10 pure electric cargo vehicles and 8 electric forklifts for short-distance transport of components, becoming Shiyan’s first “green logistics transportation route”; further strengthening the atmospheric pollutant emission control of the painting suppliers, we have centralized the production of D600 chassis black paint parts. The company is committed to building the “Dongfeng model” for green transformation, striving to achieve carbon peaking in corporate operations by 2028, carbon neutrality by 2035, and full lifecycle carbon neutrality by 2050.

Fourth, we are working collaboratively across the entire chain to solidify the foundation for high-quality development.

We always adhere to the belief that “quality is the lifeline,” embedding quality enhancement throughout the entire lifecycle of R&D, supply chain, and services.

On the R&D side: We focus on building a positive quality control system. We strictly implement quality gate checks for new product projects, anchoring high-quality standards from the product planning stage, and maintaining quality bottom lines to lay a forward-looking foundation for quality control throughout the product lifecycle. In line with the development trend of the “new four modernizations,” we have established differentiated quality control systems for key projects such as new energy, intelligent driving, and export models, closely aligning with customer scenarios, and creating a consistency assurance mechanism across the entire process of “product planning → development validation → customer operation.”

On the supply chain side: We focus on essential enhancement of suppliers, striving to create a high-resilience, high-quality, and co-growth supply chain partner ecosystem. Always adhering to the principle of quality first, we regard suppliers as core partners for value co-creation, establishing a scientific and sound supplier performance evaluation management mechanism that deeply binds quality performance with cooperation qualifications and scales, encouraging suppliers to continuously strengthen their quality control capabilities. At the same time, we comprehensively promote internal and external best practices, using benchmarks to drive overall quality level improvements in the supply chain, providing stable and reliable high-quality supply guarantees for vehicle businesses.

On the service side: We always adhere to a customer-centric approach, building an agile, efficient, and closed-loop market quality improvement system. We strictly implement early flow management to quickly identify and close the loop on quality issues during the initial phase of market launch, ensuring the stability and reliability of new products. By leveraging digital means to enhance market quality trend assessment, we accurately identify potential adverse trends in the market, achieving precise prediction and proactive intervention from abnormal data monitoring to potential risks. For various quality issues reported from the market, we streamline high-efficiency collaboration mechanisms across the industrial chain and value chain, promoting rapid resolution of quality problems and root cause eradication, effectively reducing customer operational losses, and continuously enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Leaders, colleagues, the transformation path of the commercial vehicle industry is not a solitary battle, but requires collaborative efforts across the entire industry to break through together. Standing at the new starting point of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle is willing to work with all colleagues to jointly build four major ecosystems and explore new paths for development.

First, co-build a technological innovation ecosystem to tackle core challenges. We advocate a corporate-led approach, integrating industry-university-research-application, forming cross-domain innovation alliances, focusing on “bottleneck” technologies such as new energy batteries, intelligent assisted driving, and vehicle-road collaboration, conducting joint tackling, accelerating the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and promoting innovation across the entire chain of “basic research - technological tackling - industrial application.”

Second, co-build a market development ecosystem to standardize competitive order. We advocate that all colleagues adhere to the concept of honest business practices, resisting unfair behaviors such as low-price competition and substandard quality, winning the market with high-quality products and services; we advocate jointly participating in industry standard formulation, collaboratively exploring overseas markets, enhancing localized services and production, and promoting China’s commercial vehicles from “going out” to “going up.”

Third, co-build a supply chain collaboration ecosystem to ensure safety and efficiency. We advocate constructing a supply chain system of “whole and parts collaboration, up and down linkage,” with vehicle companies playing the role of “chain leaders,” driving parts suppliers towards high technology and high added value; at the same time, we will improve the supply chain risk warning mechanism, promoting digital transformation to achieve enhancements in both safety and efficiency.

Fourth, co-build an infrastructure ecosystem to support large-scale applications. We advocate that government and enterprises make joint efforts to accelerate the layout of charging, battery swapping, and hydrogen refueling infrastructure, focusing on core areas such as logistics parks to provide support for the large-scale application of new energy commercial vehicles.

Leaders, colleagues, since its establishment in 1969, Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle has always kept in mind the original intention of revitalizing the national automotive industry. Standing at a new stage of development, we will continue to focus on enhancing core functionalities and core competitiveness, promote high-quality development through our brand uplift strategy, respect and promote each other with all partners, innovate collaboratively in healthy competition, and jointly write a beautiful chapter for the commercial vehicle industry!

Finally, I wish this forum great success! I wish all leaders and colleagues good health, smooth work, and all the best. You are sincerely invited to visit Shiyan, to visit Dongfeng, for exchanges, guidance, and cooperation. Thank you all!