Wuhan Youfin Auto Parts Co – a professional automotive brake supplier based in the Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WEDZ) for the past 18 years, has become a pioneer in its field, with annual output rising to 600 million yuan ($94.74 million).
More than 60 percent of buses operating in Wuhan are installed with brakes produced by Youfin, which is also a long-term partner of many domestic auto giants such as Dongfeng, BYD, FAW, and SAIC.
In December 2021, Youfin was recognized as a specialized and new little giant company in Hubei province. In addition, it has established Hubei's only braking system research center, and is a participant in setting many national standards in its field, according to Zhang Wangshan, president of the company.
The firm has received an order of 150,000 brakes this March, and has kept annual output growth at 15 percent for the past three years.
"About 10 years ago, along with automobile consumption upgrading, there was no firm able to produce disc brakes for middle- and high-end car models," said Li Wenjie, manager of the firm's engineering unit. The price of one disc brake soared to 5,000 to 6,000 yuan, which partly explained why domestic cars were so expensive then.
The firm seized the opportunity and sought to fill the void in disc brake manufacturing by cooperating with top-notch universities and establishing standardized design databases and laboratories.
The firm's disc brake is now among the top three in China in terms of market share.
