American Axle forms JV with Jianghuai Auto

American Axle & Manufacturing (AAM) has announced that it has formed a new joint venture (JV) in China with a subsidiary of Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group, according to the company's press release materials.

AAM said last Thursday that it has created a 50:50 JV called Hefei AAM Automotive Driveline & Chassis System in partnership with Hefei Automobile Axle Co, Ltd., (HAAC), a subsidiary of Jianghuai Automobile Group.

The new company will manufacture and sell rear beam axles, front axles, power transfer units (PTU), Rear Drive Modules (RDM) and suspension modules of passenger cars for the China market. Operation is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2009.

This is the second manufacturing operation that American Axle has set up in China. The other is located in Changshu, which was created specifically to supply Chery Auto with rear-drive modules.