On April 30, 2021, the 7,000th truck produced by FAW Jiefang Plant in South Africa successfully rolled off the production line, representing a new stage in FAW Jiefang's localization production process in South Africa. Since the plant was put into operation in July 2014, FAW Group and the China-Africa Development Fund have invested more than ZAR 600 million (about 247 million yuan) in the plant. At present, the plant has 148 workers, covers an area of about 30,000 square meters, and the peak production capacity can reach 3,000 trucks/year, and can be expanded to 5,000 units/year at any time.
The 7,000th truck to roll off the production line is a Jiefang JH6, which is also the main force of FAW Jiefang's flagship truck sold in South Africa. At present, the production in FAW Jiefang plant in South Africa adopts the method of CKD assembly, and the vehicle components are produced by China and other countries, and then transported to FAW Jiefang's South African plant for assembly, final painting and delivery.
So far, with low product prices and generous mechanical configurations, FAW Jiefang has become an important player in the South African truck market. And why is the JH6 truck from the East so popular in South Africa? In today's article, we will take you to see how the South African version of the Jiefang JH6 is configured.
From the outside, there is not much difference between the Liberation JH6 sold in South Africa and the JH6 sold domestically. The multi-layered stacked front grille is more muscular, with a V-shaped exterior silhouette, and the tough shape is very attractive. The bumper adopts a three-segment structure of left, middle and right. If the bumper is damaged, only the damaged area needs to be replaced, and the assembly does not need to be replaced. On the domestic JH6 model, millimeter wave radar is also installed in the bumper to achieve the front anti-collision warning function. As South Africa did not have mandatory regulations, the configuration was reduced in view of the cost of vehicle acquisition. In addition, the decoration of the "liberation" Chinese character on the roof of the car has also been replaced by FAW (FAW's English abbreviation).
South Africa's transportation needs are roughly similar to those of our country, so the configuration of the vehicle is also somewhat inherited from our country's characteristics. In South Africa, the main sales force of the JH6 series models is the 6x4 tractor, which uses aluminum wheels throughout the vehicle to reduce the weight of the vehicle. At the same time, the front and rear suspension of the vehicle adopt the configuration of parabolic leaf springs, which reduces the purchase cost of the vehicle. After all, in South Africa, the need for excellent shock absorption in air suspension is not urgent.
Like the domestic JH6, the vehicle is equipped with a high-roof flat-floor cab, with a maximum internal height of 2 meters, allowing the driver to easily stretch his body. The cab adopts a suspension structure, which has a better shock absorption effect and can move backwards in the event of an accident, giving the driver enough living space.
In order to ensure the road endurance performance of the vehicle, the South African version of JH6 is equipped with an aluminum alloy fuel tank of about 500 liters each, and the total fuel volume reaches 1000 liters, which can bring the vehicle more than 3000 kilometers of endurance performance. The two-drive rear axle adopts the Jiefang single-stage reduction bridge, the speed ratio is 3.077, and the addition of long oil change technology makes the vehicle rear axle oil change cycle reach 100,000 kilometers. The front axle is equipped with Cammai circulation oil lubrication wheel ends with oil change intervals of up to 500,000 kilometers.
The vehicle's front cover features an integrated design that allows easy maintenance of the engine when it is opened forward. The vehicle's aftertreatment system, brake gas tank, and battery are neatly arranged on the side of the chassis to improve space utilization. Of course, if you can have a fully enclosed side skirt, the visual effect will be better.
A large area of additional bumpers was installed at the rear and covered with reflective strips to provide clearer indication for the rear car. In this image, you can see the vehicle's saddle, V-shaped thrust bar, which are produced in China and then shipped to South Africa for assembly, including the frame. The rear axle of the vehicle is also sprayed by the original factory of liberation, with the words "100,000 kilometers of long oil change".
The vehicle's intake air filter, located at the rear right of the cab, is cut through and fused with the spoiler. The rear spoiler height of the vehicle can be adjusted to adapt to trailers of different heights, reduce air resistance and improve fuel consumption performance.
The rear frame of the cab is covered with a working platform to facilitate the driver to connect the trailer. There is also a work light above the electrical connection area to illuminate the work area, which is more convenient and safer.
The vehicle is arranged with a right-hand drive. The main driver's seat features airbag shock absorption for better comfort. The door opening is large and has a handrail to facilitate the driver to board the car and drive.
The base of the JH6 cab is still quite good, and the near-flat floor brings a good net height to the interior of the cab. The co-pilot's office is very open, the sense of space is good, the fly in the ointment is that there is no accessory, if you can add a small table board or add a few cup holders will be better.
The JH6 trucks sold in South Africa have basically opted for a double sleeper configuration, which allows two drivers to work in shifts and people to stop. The rear wall of the cab has a rear-facing viewing window for easy observation of the trailer status. Observation windows with curtains so that they are not disturbed by light during the day.
The driver's platform is arranged in a wrap-around arrangement, slightly diagonally towards the driver for easy handling. The addition of a multi-function steering wheel allows the driver to easily control the multimedia system during driving without distraction. The gear lever is placed on the left-hand side of the main driver, while the handbrake is slightly lower. The vehicle adopts a two-hand brake configuration, which corresponds to the parking brake of the tractor and the trailer respectively.
The size of the buttons on the dashboard is large and has a prompt light, which is generally more convenient to use.
On the left and right of the dashboard are mechanical instruments, which are the vehicle's tachometer and speedometer. In the center of the mechanical instrument, there is also a small LCD screen, which is used to display the vehicle water temperature, brake gas tank pressure, mileage, battery voltage and other miscellaneous information.
Cost-effective, cheap big names, jiefang JH6 in South Africa is not worried about selling. At the same time, due to the liberation of the local factory in South Africa, enjoy the support of the government, can provide a better after-sales network, combined with the excellent quality of the product itself, so that JH6's exotic road is getting smoother and smoother. Thank you for reading this article! If you want to see more interesting and informative commercial vehicle content, don't forget to follow us!
Text: Heseaotter