Chinese heavy truck maker Shaanxi Automobile Group launched the nation's first IV heavy-duty truck in Xi'an city in northwest China recently, according to an Asia Pulse report.

The China IV heavy-duty truck was jointly developed by Shaanxi Automobile Group and the U.S.' Cummins Inc for a time frame of three years.

Tang Dagang, director of Vehicle Emission Control Center under the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said that the China IV heavy-duty truck has cut its oxynitride emissions by 30 per cent and pollutant particles by 80 per cent.

Oil consumption of the truck has been reduced by five to 11 percentage points below the China III heavy-duty truck, according to the report.

The leading Chinese heavy-duty truck manufacturer broke ground on a new mini van manufacturing facility last Monday with a production capacity of 100,000 minivans a year in its latest effort to expand product mix.

Shaanxi Automobile Group ranks 13th among 2008's top 30 Chinese automakers. Its partner Cummins Inc is a leading global provider of power generation systems.