The is a Japanese manufacturer of

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...

s and buses. It is headquartered in

Kawasaki, Kanagawa Kawasaki, officially Kawasaki City, is a Cities of Japan, city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, one of the main cities of the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area. It is the second most populated city in Kanagawa Prefecture after Yokohama ...

and owned by Germany-based

Daimler Truck Daimler Truck AG (holding company legal name Daimler Truck Holding AG) is the world's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, with over 35 main locations worldwide and approximately 100,000 employees. Daimler Truck AG is headquartered in Leinfel ...

.Next Stop: Fuso Aero Star Eco Hybrid
. ''Fuso'' derives from the ancient Chinese term '' fusang'' (), for a sacred tree said to grow at the spot in the east where the sun rises, and has been used to refer to Japan itself. The actual fuso tree is a

hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the Malva, mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising List of Hibiscus species, several hundred species that are Native plant, native to warm temperate, Subtropics, subtropical ...

History

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

In 1932, the first B46 bus (the ''Fuso'') was built at the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company's Kobe Works. Two years later (1934), the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company was renamed

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational engineering, electrical equipment and electronics corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. MHI is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group and its automobile division is the prede ...

(MHI). Three years after that (1937), the MHI motor-vehicle operations at the Kobe Works were transferred to the Tokyo Works. In 1949, the Fuso Motors Sales Company was established. In 1950, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was split into three companies: * West Japan Heavy Industries. * Central Japan Heavy Industries. * East Japan Heavy Industries. Two years later (1952): * West Japan Heavy Industries was renamed to Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Engineering Company. * Central Japan Heavy Industries was renamed to Shin Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. * East Japan Heavy Industries was renamed to Mitsubishi Nippon Heavy Industries (MNHI). * Fuso Motor Sales Company was renamed to the Mitsubishi Fuso Motors Sales Company. Products from the companies were distributed by Mitsubishi Fuso Motor Sales because of brand recognition.

Mitsubishi Fuso Heavy Industries.

In 1957, MNHI integrated the Tokyo and Kawasaki Works into the Tokyo Motor Vehicle Works. Seven years later (1964), these three companies merged to form Mitsubishi Fuso Heavy Industries;

Distribution

Mitsubishi Fuso Motors Sales split into two divisions: Shin and Fuso Motors Sales Company. Sharing a logo, they split the distribution of heavy and light machinery; Shin distributed light machinery branded as Mitsubishi, and Fuso distributed heavy machinery branded as Fuso.

Mitsubishi Motor Company

In 1970, MFHI signed a joint-venture agreement with Chrysler Corporation, establishing the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), and MFHI transferred its motor-vehicle operations to MMC. In 1975, MMC opened the Nakatsu Plant at its Tokyo Motor Vehicle Works; five years later, it opened the Kitsuregawa Proving Grounds. Four years after that, MMC merged with Mitsubishi Motor Sales Company. In 1985, MMC and Mitsubishi Corporation established the joint-equity company Mitsubishi Trucks of America in the United States. Eight years later, MMC and Chrysler dissolved their equity partnership. The following year, MMC and Mitsubishi joined to design, build, and distribute the Mitsubishi Lancer. In 1999, MMC and

Volvo The Volvo Group (; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of truck ...

joined their truck and bus operations, and Volvo acquired 5% of MMC. Two years later, DaimlerChrysler, formed after Chrysler had merged with

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...

owners Daimler-Benz, replaced Volvo as MMC's truck and bus partner and MMC renamed the Tokyo Plant the Truck and Bus Production Office (also known as the Kawasaki Plant).

Daimler Truck

In 2003, the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) was established. DaimlerChrysler, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, and other Mitsubishi companies acquired 43, 42. and 15% shares, respectively, in MFTBC. In 2005, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation transferred its MFTBC shares to DaimlerChrysler as part of their compensation agreement for financial damages resulting from quality problems and recalls at MFTBC. DaimlerChrysler and the Mitsubishi companies hold shares of 89 and 11%, respectively. In 2006, MFTBC moved its headquarters from Tokyo to Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa; the following year, DaimlerChrysler sold its majority stake in Chrysler Corporation to

Cerberus Capital Management Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. is an American global alternative investment firm with assets across credit, private equity, and real estate strategies.Leaders Magazine"Providing Economic Opportunity: An Interview with The Honorable Dan Qua ...

. The corporation was renamed

Daimler AG Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacturers. Daimler-B ...

and the DaimlerChrysler Truck Group was renamed

, with MFTBC part of the latter. On May 27, 2020, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America announced it is discontinuing new truck sales. The move is a result of a re-evaluation by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp. of its business situation in the United States and Canada, according to the announcement, as the company shifts to a service-focused operation in these markets. In May 2023, Fuso and its parent Daimler Truck signed a memorandum of understanding with Hino and its parent

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

for a plan of merging Hino and Fuso into a publicly traded

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...

with "equal investment" from both Toyota and Daimler Truck. In June 2025, a definitive agreement was reached with an as yet unnamed holding company to list on the

Tokyo Stock Exchange The , abbreviated as Tosho () or TSE/TYO, is a stock exchange located in Tokyo, Japan. The exchange is owned by Japan Exchange Group (JPX), a holding company that it also lists (), and operated by Tokyo Stock Exchange, Inc., a wholly owned sub ...

with Daimler Truck and Toyota each to own 25% of the holding company.

Facilities

Fuso trucks are developed and built primarily at these Japanese facilities: * Kitsuregawa Proving Ground * Kawasaki Plant and Research and Development Center * Nakatsu Plant, Aikawa, Kanagawa * Mitsubishi Fuso Bus Manufacturing Company in

Toyama, Toyama is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, located on the coast of the Sea of Japan in the Chūbu region on central Honshū, about north of the city of Nagoya and northwest of Tokyo. , the city had an estimated population ...

Mitsubishi Fuso Canter work-trucks are manufactured in Indonesia, Egypt, Tramagal (Portugal), the Philippines, Venezuela, Turkey, and Russia. They are marketed in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and a number of other Asian countries, as well as in the United States. Fuso trucks are also manufactured in India at the Daimler India Commercial Vehicles plant in Oragadam, near

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

. Those vehicles are sold in East Africa and Southeast Asia.''Daimler Trucks Operations in Asia Premieres FUSO FJ''
Fuso

Press release A press release (also known as a media release) is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing new information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public releas ...

, September 24, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014. Mitsubishi Fuso's European marketing and sales headquarters is in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

Products

Van

* Canter Van ( OEM Nissan Caravan, export only)

Trucks

* Canter aka FE/FF/FG/FH, formerly also rebadged and sold as the Sterling 360 * Canter Guts (Canter Mini FA/FB/FC/FD) * Canter Eco Hybrid * Fighter aka FH/FK/FM/FL * The Great * Super Great/Heavy Duty aka FP/FS/FV * Fuso Shogun (manufactured in

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

) * Fuso FJ (manufactured in India by BharatBenz for export) * Fuso TV (manufactured in Malaysia and Thailand) * Fuso FI

Buses and chassis

* Rosa * Aero Midi MK/MJ/ME * Aero Star MP * Aero King * Aero Ace/Bus/Queen MS * Mitsubishi Cruiser * Mitsubishi Eagle * Fuso BK125L (Bus chassis) * Fuso BM115/116/117/118 (Bus chassis) * Fuso FE84G (Bus chassis) * Fuso RK (Bus chassis) * Fuso RM (Bus chassis) * Fuso RP (Bus chassis) File:Nishinihon JR Bus Mitsubishi-Fuso Aero King.jpg, A Fuso Aero King is operated by Nishinihon JR Bus Co., in Japan. File:KamalanBus 326FL Front.jpg, A Fuso RM bus is operated by Kamalan Bus Inc. in Taiwan. File:Mitsubishi Fuso RP118 96 2-80110.jpg, A Fuso RP118 bus is operated by BMTA in Thailand. File:Fuso Canter 3C13, 8th Generation.jpg, Fuso Canter, 8th Generation in Dueñas,

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Electric transport

The Mitsubishi Fuso Aero Star diesel-electric bus is being tested in Japan. According to the company, it can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 30%.
The Aero Star uses a series hybrid drive, where its diesel engine drives an

electric generator In electricity generation, a generator, also called an ''electric generator'', ''electrical generator'', and ''electromagnetic generator'' is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy for use in an externa ...

to recharge lithium-ion batteries
connected to the two

electric motor An electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Most electric motors operate through the interaction between the motor's magnetic field and electric current in a electromagnetic coil, wire winding to gene ...

s with a combined output of 158 kW, which propel the vehicle. Series hybrids are efficient on urban buses. Opposed to the buses the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid uses a parallel hybrid system with an electric Motor-generator on the transmission input shaft. This system maintains better efficiency gains at higher speeds.

Global distribution

Outside Japan, vehicles manufactured by the corporation are sold in: *

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

by Mitsubishi Motors, Daimler, and independent dealers (in Mexico, some Fuso vehicles are offered in Freightliner trademark, to replace the Sterling Trucks image that previously badged some trucks such as Canter and Super Great) *

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

by Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Fuso Company, and Daimler independent dealers *

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

by Mitsubishi Motors and independent dealers *

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

by Mitsubishi and independent dealers in

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

by Akagera Business Group *

Oceania Oceania ( , ) is a region, geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its co ...

by Daimler-Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Fuso, and independent dealers *

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

by Daimler Trucks and dealers

References

https://www.truckinginfo.com/359173/mitsubishi-fuso-truck-of-america-discontinues-new-truck-sales

External links

* {{Authority control Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1932 Bus manufacturers of Japan Companies based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Daimler Truck Electric vehicle manufacturers of Japan Hybrid electric bus manufacturers Japanese brands Japanese companies established in 1932 Japanese subsidiaries of foreign companies Mitsubishi companies Plug-in hybrid vehicles Truck manufacturers of Japan