The Sankei Shimbun 
From left: Toyota Motor President Koji Sato, Hino Motors President Satoshi Ogiso, new integrated holding company CEO and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus CEO Karl Deppen, and Daimler Truck CEO Karin Rådström.
Hino Motors and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus have finalized an agreement to merge their management. The former is a vehicle manufacturer under the Toyota Motor Corporation Group, while the latter is part of Germany's Daimler Truck Group.
Each parent company will invest 25% to create a holding company that will oversee both businesses. The merger is planned to be completed by April 2026.
Automakers face growing pressure to develop next-generation technologies like decarbonization and autonomous driving. These innovations require significant investment. This can be challenging for commercial vehicle makers with lower production volumes to manage alone.
By merging, the two companies aim to streamline development and combine the strengths of their four organizations, including the parent companies. Their goal is to boost competitiveness both in Japan and globally.
Focus on Clean Energy
One promising area is hydrogen technology for clean energy. While electric vehicles (EVs) are central to decarbonizing passenger cars, adapting EVs for large commercial vehicles is difficult. These vehicles often need to travel long distances, which requires heavy and bulky batteries.
Toyota is a world leader in hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) technology, and Daimler Truck is also advancing FCV trucks. Toyota is further exploring hydrogen engine vehicles as part of its decarbonization strategy.
Large commercial vehicles frequently operate on fixed routes between logistics hubs. This makes it easier to build the hydrogen refueling infrastructure needed — a key challenge for hydrogen adoption.
Additionally, the shortage of drivers is pushing commercial vehicles toward adopting autonomous driving technology faster than passenger cars. With global development underway, the goal is to accelerate practical use by leveraging the parent companies' expertise.
Challenges and Market Pressure
Hino and Mitsubishi Fuso initially agreed on management integration in May 2023. However, the final contract, originally set for March 2024, was delayed due to Hino's engine certification fraud scandal.
During this roughly two-year delay, Chinese manufacturers have made significant advances in commercial vehicles. At the same time, environmental regulations overseas have tightened. Falling behind in next-generation technology development could threaten both companies' strong positions in the Asian market.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
