Hino Motors, Ltd., commonly known as Hino, is a Japanese

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or Production (economics), production of goods with the help of equipment, Work (human activity), labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary se ...

commercial vehicle A commercial vehicle is any type of motor vehicle used for transporting goods or paying passengers. Depending on laws and designations, a commercial vehicle can be any broad type of motor vehicle used commercially or for business purposes. Classi ...

s and

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...

s (including those for

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 ...

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

es and other vehicles) headquartered in

Hino, Tokyo file:KongojiFudodo20130815.jpg, 250px, Takahata Fudō in Hino is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 187,048, and a population density of 6 ...

. The company was established in 1942 as a

corporate spin-off A corporate spin-off, also known as a spin-out, starburst or hive-off, is a type of corporate action where a company "splits off" a section as a separate business or creates a second incarnation, even if the first is still active. It is distinct ...

from previous manufacturers. Hino Motors is a large constituent of the

Nikkei 225 The Nikkei 225, or , more commonly called the ''Nikkei'' or the ''Nikkei index'' (), is a stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). It is a price-weighted index, operating in the Japanese yen, Japanese Yen (JP¥), and its compone ...

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 ...

. It is a subsidiary of

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 ...

and one of 16 major companies of the

Toyota Group The is a group of companies that have supplier, vendor and investment relationships with Toyota Industries and Toyota Motor vehicle manufacturing facilities. It is similar to a '' keiretsu'' in that no particular entity has outright control ov ...

History

Predecessors

Hino's predecessors trace back to the founding of Tokyo Gas Industry Company in 1910. In 1910, Chiyoda Gas Company was established and competed fiercely against incumbent Tokyo Gas Company for supplying natural gas to users. Tokyo Gas Industry was a parts supplier for Chiyoda Gas but it was defeated and merged into Tokyo Gas in 1912. Having lost its largest client, Tokyo Gas Industry Co. broadened its product line including electronic parts, and renamed itself as Tokyo Gas and Electric Industry (東京瓦斯電気工業), TG&E, and was often abbreviated as Gasuden. It produced its first

motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as a motorized vehicle, automotive vehicle, automobile, or road vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on railway track, rails (such as trains or trams), does not fly (such ...

in 1917, the Model TGE "A-Type" truck. In 1937, TG&E merged its

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

division with that of Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. and Kyodo Kokusan K.K., to form Tokyo Automobile Industry Co., Ltd., with TG&E as a shareholder. Four years later, the company changed its name to Diesel Motor Industry Co., Ltd., which would eventually become

Isuzu , commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines ...

Foundation of Hino and Post-World War II history

In 1942, a new company called Hino Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. was spun out from Diesel Motor Industry Co., Ltd. During World War II, Hino manufactured Type 1 Ho-Ha

half-track A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. A half-track combines the soft-ground traction of a tank with the Car handl ...

and Type 1 Ho-Ki

armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

for the

Imperial Japanese Army The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA; , ''Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun'', "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") was the principal ground force of the Empire of Japan from 1871 to 1945. It played a central role in Japan’s rapid modernization during th ...

. Following treaties signed at the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the company had to stop producing large diesel engines for marine applications, so the company dropped the "Heavy" from its name and formally concentrated on the heavy-duty trailer-truck, buses and

s markets, as Hino Industry Co., Ltd. The company took its name from the location of its headquarters in within

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

prefecture. In 1948, the company spun itself into two entities, Hino Diesel Industry Co., Ltd and Hino Diesel Sales. In 1950 the heavy-duty TH10 was introduced, equipped with an all-new 7-liter DS10

. An eight-tonner, this was considerably larger than existing Japanese trucks which had rarely been built for more than payload. In 1952, the company introduced the B10/30 (

Blue Ribbon Blue ribbons are typically a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Order of the Holy Spirit#Cordon Bleu, Cord ...

) on a European style forward control cabin, a first for Japanese manufacturers. In 1953, it rolled off the ZG heavy truck which became the most sold dump truck in Japan. That year, Hino entered the private car market, by manufacturing

Renault Renault S.A., commonly referred to as Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English), is a French Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company curr ...

s under licence, and in 1961 it started building its own Contessa 900 sedan with an 893cc rear-mounted engine, and a

pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...

called the Hino Briska with the Contessa engine slightly enlarged and installed in the front with rear wheel drive. The Italian stylist

Giovanni Michelotti Giovanni Michelotti (6 October 1921 – 23 January 1980) was one of the most prolific designers of sports cars in the 20th century. His notable contributions were for Ferrari, Lancia, Maserati and Triumph Motor Company, Triumph marques. He was ...

redesigned the Contessa line in 1964 with a 1300 cc rear-mounted engine. Fed by two SU type carburettors, this developed 60 hp (44 kW) in the sedan 70 hp (51 kW) in the

coupé A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and typically with two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the Fr ...

version. In 1959, the company adopted the Hino Motors, Ltd. name. In 1963, the Hamura factory began operations. Hino Trucks have also been assembled in Norway (1977–85), Portugal and Canada.

Amalgamation with Toyota

Hino was in financial difficulties in the 1960s. In October 1966, following some pressure for industry consolidation from the Japanese government, Hino and

signed a partnership agreement (through the

Mitsui Bank was a major Japanese bank from 1876 to 1990. The home bank of the Mitsui conglomerate, it was one of the largest Japanese banks for much of the 20th century, together with Dai-Ichi Bank, Mitsubishi Bank, Sumitomo Bank, and Yasuda / Fuji Bank. I ...

) by which the former became an affiliate of the latter and focused itself on truck and bus production alongside vehicle assembly under contract. In April 1967, Hino began assembling light vehicles for Toyota, after an influx of employees from the latter to the former. The Hino Briska pickup was rebadged as the Toyota Briska and, in March 1968, the model was used to develop the

Toyota HiLux The , stylised as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as a pickup truck or cab chassis, although they coul ...

which had more stock parts from Toyota. Hino also assembled the Publica van and sedan. Both companies started to collaborate in purchasing as well as research and development. Hino officially stopped assembling passenger cars in 1969, although continued assembling light vehicles for Toyota (as the Publica van and the HiAce). Up until the 1990s, Hino assembled the HiLux. In the 1960s, Hino launched new medium and heavy duty trucks (TC300, KF). In March 1964, the company launched the medium duty KM series truck, later named the Ranger. In the 1970s, Hino introduced the so-called "red" diesel engines with a focus on fuel efficiency and incorporating

MAN A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the f ...

technology. The company began to increase exports as it had an efficiency advantage compared to most foreign rivals at the time. By the end of the 1970s, export sales surpassed domestic ones. In 1977, Hino launched its first long range coach. In 1981, the company introduced the Profia, the first truck of a new series with improved aerodynamics, engines and cabin. In the late 1970s, Hino started to form partnerships with other manufacturers besides Toyota. In 1978, it established a technical assistance agreement with

Asia Motors Asia Motors Industries, doing business as, traded as Asia Motors (, ), was a South Korean car manufacturer established in 1965 and closed in 1999. From 1976 onwards, it was a subsidiary of Kia Motors. History In 1962, as one of the measures ...

. That same year, it established a partnership with the Chinese car manufacturer FAW by providing technical assistance on medium trucks to it, mostly for improving FAW's outdated Jiefanghao range (based on the 1940s ZIS-150). In 1986, it started to license its engines to

Ashok Leyland Ashok Leyland Limited is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturer, with its headquarters in Chennai. It is now owned by the Hinduja Group. It was founded in 1948 as Ashok Motors, which became Ashok Leyland in the year 1955 after collab ...

. Starting in the 1990s, Hino returned to financial difficulties. The company introduced new heavy vehicles (trucks and coaches) and expanded its Asian business to try improving its profitability. Toyota also helped its affiliate by giving it assembly contracts ( Toyota Tercel/Corsa, Toyota T100). In March 1997, Toyota increased its Hino stake (at the time 11.4%) to 16.4% and to 20.1% by the end of the year. Toyota also moved all its production and development activities for light trucks to Hino. In June 1998, Toyota said it planned to take control of Hino. By March 2001, it had acquired a 36.6% Hino stake. Later that year, Hino became a subsidiary of Toyota after the latter increased its ownership to a 50.1% majority stake. In 2002, Hino and Isuzu merged their bus/coach production and development facilities in Japan into a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

called J-Bus. In March of that year, Hino and

Scania AB Scania AB ( , ), stylised SCANIA in its products, is a major Sweden, Swedish manufacturer headquartered in Södertälje, focusing on commercial vehicles—specifically heavy lorries, trucks and buses. It also manufactures diesel engines for hea ...

signed a partnership deal by which the former was to take charge of the Japanese sales of the latter. The deal also included the possibility of further technical and commercial collaboration. In December 2006, Scania started to sell Hino trucks in South Korea. In June 2011, Scania left the deal after it opened its own Japanese sales operation. In 2012, Hino started to move medium and heavy truck production in Japan from its obsolete, cramped Hino plant to a new one in

Koga, Ibaraki is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 137,512 in 58,276 households and a population density of 1113 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was 28.98%. The total area of ...

, which initially produced complete knock-down kits for export. The move was completed in September 2017, as part of a consolidation of the Japanese operations into three main plants: Koga would produce medium and heavy trucks; Nitta ( Ota, Gunma), which had already been manufacturing engines for light and medium vehicles and opened a new plant for large ones completed in December 2016 to replace the Hino plant, engines and transmissions; Hamura, lighter trucks and contract assembly for Toyota. In 2018, Hino and Volkswagen Truck & Bus announced a wide-ranging strategic partnership for activities including procurement, technologies and logistics. In November 2019, they established a procurement joint venture called Hino and Traton Global Procurement, with 51% of it owned by Traton and 49% by Hino. By 2023, the partnership was terminated. In March 2021, Hino, its parent Toyota, and Isuzu announced the creation of a strategic partnership between the three companies. Toyota acquired a 4.6% stake in Isuzu while the latter plans to acquire Toyota shares for an equivalent value. The three companies said they would form a new joint venture by April called Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies Corporation with the aim of developing

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen fuel, hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most bat ...

and

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

light trucks. Toyota would own an 80% stake in the venture while Hino and Isuzu would own 10% each. In August 2022, after Toyota published the findings of a self-commissioned investigation highlighting that Hino Motors falsified emissions data on some engines going back to at least October 2003, Toyota and Isuzu "expelled" Hino from their partnership. The Hino stake would be given to Toyota. In May 2023, Hino and its parent Toyota signed a memorandum of understanding with Mitsubishi Fuso and its parent

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 ...

for a plan of merging Hino and Mitsubishi 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

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

Canada

Hino has been marketing trucks in Canada since the 1970s. Hino Motors Canada Ltd., is the exclusive distributor of Hino products in Canada, and is part of the Toyota Group of Companies, with head office and Parts Distribution Centre in

Mississauga, Ontario Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...

. In May 2006, Hino opened a new assembly plant in

Woodstock, Ontario Woodstock is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The city has a population of 46,705 according to the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 Canadian census. Woodstock is the seat of Oxford County, Ontario, Oxford County, at the head of the Thames River, On ...

, employing at first 45 (grown since to more than 70) and with an annual capacity of 2,400 trucks.Hino Motors Canada, Ltd. - Company Profile
. Hinocanada.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-16. It began assembly of Class 4 and 5 trucks in 2006 and continued to do so until 2010. Since then, it has been building only Class 6 and 7 trucks.

Colombia

Hino Motors Manufacturing Colombia (HMMC) is a partnership between the Mitsui group and the Colombia manager for the Hino brand, PRACO-Didacol S.A. The partnership assembles medium and heavy trucks, destined mainly to the export market for the Andinean and Central American countries. The factory was opened on 9 October 2007 in

Cota Cota or COTA may refer to: People Surname * Ava Michelle Cota (born 2002), American actress * Chad Cota (born 1971), American football player * Chase Cota (born 1999), American football player *Ed Cota (born 1976), American basketball player * H ...

, a municipality near the capital city of

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

. From this facility, the FCJ and Hino Dutro (300, 500 and 900 series) trucks are assembled. The

Mitsui is a Japanese corporate group and '' keiretsu'' that traces its roots to the ''zaibatsu'' groups that were dissolved after World War II. Unlike the ''zaibatsu'' of the pre-war period, there is no controlling company with regulatory power. Ins ...

Keiretsu A is a set of companies with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings that dominated the Japanese economy in the second half of the 20th century. In the legal sense, it is a type of business group that is in a loosely organized al ...

is the principal shareholder and owner of this factory. The plant produced the 1000th unit in July 2009. The 20,000th truck was finished on 14 May 2014.

India

Hino and

have had a cooperative agreement for engine production in India since 1986. In 2017, a new agreement was made between them to manufacture Hino's advance diesel engines in India and Hino will procure parts from the local market through Ashok Leyland's Network.

Indonesia

PT. Hino Motors Manufacturing Indonesia (HMMI) is strategic production base for ASEAN region. HMMI is in partnership between the Hino Motors, Ltd and PT. Indomobil Sukses Internasional, Tbk. The partnership assembles medium, heavy duty trucks, mainly for ASEAN market. The factory was opened in April 2003, evolving from PT. Hino Indonesia Manufacturing which was opened in October 1982. The factory is located on Purwakarta, West Java. Its sister company PT. Hino Motors Sales Indonesia (HMSI) is formed April 2003. Currently there are 41 dealerships and more than 100 branches, around the

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...

Ireland

Hino Trucks have been assembled in The

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

since 1968 by J Harris on the Naas/Nangor Roads,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

Israel

Hino Motors signed a 10-year assembly agreement with Kaiser-Illin Industries of Haifa, Israel, in 1963. Assembly of the Contessa 900 started in 1964. Later, Briska 900 and 1300 and the Contessa 1300 sedan were assembled in Haifa as well. The Contessa was even used as a police car in Israel. During the years 1964–1965, Israel was Hino's second most important market for its Contessas. Israel exports amounted to ~10% of total Contessa production. After it was purchased by Toyota, the contract was terminated and the last Israeli Contessas rolled off the assembly line in March 1968. In total, over 8,000 Hino Contessa and Briska were assembled in Israel.

Mexico

In mid 2008, Hino Motors was said to be building a new truck assembly facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, serving international deliveries. The facility was reportedly built in an 80:20 partnership with Japanese trading firm Mitsui, opening in 2009 and with a production capacity for 1,200 of the Hino 500 series trucks per year.

Pakistan

Hinopak Motors was formed in 1985 by a diverse group of sponsors. These included

Hino Motors Hino Motors, Ltd., commonly known as Hino, is a Japanese manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines (including those for trucks, buses and other vehicles) headquartered in Hino, Tokyo. The company was established in 1942 as a corpora ...

Toyota Tsusho is a sōgō shōsha (trading company), a member of the Toyota Group. Toyota Tsusho has a worldwide presence through its many subsidiaries and operating divisions, including over 150 offices, and 900 subsidiaries and affiliates around the world. ...

, Al-Futtaim Group and PACO. In 1998, Hino Motors, and Toyota Tsusho Corporation obtained majority shareholding in the company after

disinvestment Disinvestment refers to the use of a concerted economic boycott to pressure a government, industry, or company towards a change in policy, or in the case of governments, even regime change. The term was first used in the 1980s, most commonly in ...

s by the other two founding sponsors. Hinopak Motors manufactures and markets diesel trucks and buses in Pakistan. Hinopak Motors has gained 70% market share making it the largest manufacturer in medium and heavy-duty truck and bus industry in Pakistan. Hinopak Motors Head Office is located in S.I.T.E Industrial Area,

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Philippines

In 1975, Hino has entered the Philippine market, and creating Pilipinas Hino, Inc. It was originally established for the manufacturing of buses and, later, trucks. In the 1970s, Hino had initially shipped vehicles to the country from Japan, before the creation of PHI. In 2015, Pilipinas Hino, Inc. changed its name to Hino Motors Philippines Corporation.

Russia

In 2017, Hino Motors announced that it was going to open its first factory in Russia. The factory will begin producing trucks in 2019 and will have the capacity to produce 3,000 yearly.

Thailand

Thai Hino Industry Co., Ltd. was established in 1964, with an assembly plant in Samrong. A second plant was established in Bang Phli in 1982. In 1999 the sales arm (Thai Hino Motor Sales Ltd.) and the manufacturing arm were merged, becoming Hino Motors (Thailand) Ltd. The company was split again in 2003, becoming Hino Motors Manufacturing (Thailand) Ltd. and Hino Motors Sales (Thailand) Ltd. A third plant was opened the following year, at Amatanakorn industrial park in Bang Pakong District (a vehicle assembly plant). * Hino 300 Innovator light duty trucks for small business * Hino 500 Dominator medium duty trucks for Agriculture business * Hino 500 Victor heavy duty trucks for transportation business * Hino 700 Splendor heavy duty trucks for international transportation business

United States

In the United States, Hino has operated since 1984. Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc. assembles medium-duty trucks at its Williamstown, West Virginia, plant. They opened a second plant in Mineral Wells, West Virginia in late 2018. Its manufacturing facilities in

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, it lies ...

, and Marion, Arkansas, produce axles, knuckles, and suspension components for Toyota's Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia models. Hino's Parts Distribution Center in Mira Loma, California, supplies Latin American and Caribbean distributors with genuine Hino service parts. The assembly plant in Williamstown, West Virginia, assembles Class 6-7 Hino trucks at an annual capacity of 10,000 units. The plant was opened in November 2007 and employs about 200. The plant in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

, where Hino's US-based medium duty truck production had begun in 2004, was closed in 2007 and its production was transferred to the West Virginia facility. Production in West Virginia began with Class 4-7 trucks but the Class 4-5 products were dropped after 2010 model year and the plant now focuses on Class 6-7 products. Opened in 2016, Hino operates a distribution center in Gahanna Ohio. Hino partnered with SEA Electric to provide Hino electric trucks using the SEA-Drive powertrain. The trucks are scheduled to become available in 2024 in the United States. SEA Electric has been installing its electric powertrains in medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses since 2017. Hino's US headquarters are currently located in

Novi, Michigan Novi ( ) is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northwestern Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Novi is located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census ...

Vietnam

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, Hino Motors Vietnam Joint Venture Company is a

manufacturer established in June 1996 on the basis of a joint venture between Hino Motors Corporation of Japan, Vietnam Automobile Industry Corporation and Sumitomo Corporation of Japan. The company's head office is located in HoangLiet Ward, Hoang Mai District,

Hanoi Hanoi ( ; ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Vietnam, second-most populous city of Vietnam. The name "Hanoi" translates to "inside the river" (Hanoi is bordered by the Red River (Asia), Red and Black River (Asia), Black Riv ...

Facilities

Japan

Hino has four plants in Japan: Hino, Hamura, Nitta and Koga. The Hino plant operates since the establishment of the company. Until 2016, it produced medium and heavy trucks and large diesel engines. In the 2016–2017 period, it was completely replaced by the Nitta and Koga plants for those, keeping since then only some activities related to vehicle parts. Hino plans to completely shut down the Hino plant by 2025. The plant site is about . In December 2022, Hino said it wanted to sell one third of that land. The Koga plant became fully operational in 2017, after gradually starting operations of its different production lines. The plant produces parts, axles, frames as well as medium and heavy trucks both as knock-down kits and as fully assembled units. The plant site is about . The built area of the Koga plant is divided into five operations: knock down plant (), axle plant (), frame plant (), cab plant () and vehicle assembly plant (). The Nitta plant was established in 1980. It produces axles, engines and transmissions. Up until late 2016, it only assembled small and medium engines while the large ones were by the Hino plant. By late 2016, the plant opened its own large engine assembly division, replacing the Hino one. The plant site is . The plant itself covers . The Hamura plant started operations in 1963. It produces axles, light trucks and light vehicle contract assembly for Toyota. The plant site is . Hino has two test facilities within Japan (in

Ibaraki, Osaka is a Cities of Japan, city in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 285,224 in 132,300 households and a population density of 3,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is a suburban city of Osaka Cit ...

and Memuro, Hokkaido), various warehousing facilities (in

Ōme, Tokyo is a Cities of Japan, city located in the Western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 131,128, and a population density of 1300 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Ge ...

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

and Koga), a museum and training facility (

Hachiōji is a Cities of Japan, city located in the Western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 561,344, and a population density of 3,000 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . It is ...

), a vehicle distribution facility (

Hidaka, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 55,294 in 24,328 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Hidaka is located in south-centra ...

) and a technical center for clients (Hamura). The company owns about 24 dealerships in the country. Apart from its directly controlled operations, Hino has various support subsidiaries in Japan. Trantechs, Ltd. is a truck bodywork manufacturer wholly owned by Hino, established in 2002 as a corporate spin off, part of the merging process of Hino's Hino Auto Body Industries (a company producing truck bodyworks and buses) into J-Bus for bus production. In December 2021, Trantechs opened a bodywork plant within the Koga plant complex. The subsidiary also owns a bodywork plant in

Hakusan, Ishikawa is a city located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 113,375 in 43246 households, and a population density of 290 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . It is the second-most populous city in Ishik ...

where it has its headquarters. Hino has various parts producing subsidiaries which supply Hino itself and other clients: Takebe Tekkosho Co., Ltd. (plants in

Atsugi is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 223,960 and a population density of 2400 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . While the name "Atsugi" is often associated with the United ...

and Thailand), Sohshin Co., Ltd. ( Iruma and Tokigawa, Saitama), Fukushima Steel Works Co., Ltd. ( Fukushima and Sagamihara), Rikken Forge Co., Ltd. ( Maebashi and Isesaki), Meiyu Kiko Co., Ltd. ( Nirasaki, Yamanashi), Yoshizawa Ironworks Co., Ltd. (

Kōshū, Yamanashi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 29,659 in 13,141 households, and a population density of 120 persons per km². The total area of the city is . The city is the home of th ...

) and Serio Co., Ltd. (

Komatsu, Ishikawa is a city located in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 108,509 in 42,664 households, and a population density of 290 persons per km². The total area of the city was . Geography Komatsu is located in southwe ...

). Other subsidiaries are Hino Global Logistics, Ltd. (logistics); NEXT Logistics Japan, Ltd. (logistics); Nissha Butsuryu Co., Ltd. (logistics); Hino Trading, Ltd. (trading); Hino Retrux, Ltd. (remanufacturing); Hino Technical Service Co., Ltd. (Hino technical manuals and related material); Hino Hutech Co., Ltd. (outsourcing services); Hino Computer System Co., Ltd. (computer maintenance services); Hino Harmony, Ltd. (facility maintenance); Hino Engineering Annex, Ltd. (vehicle repairing and modification); CUBE-LINX Co., Ltd. (management services); Saichu Co., Ltd. Hino has about ten affiliates in Japan, including J-Bus. From March 2019 onwards, Hino owns a minority stake in MONET Technologies Inc., a mobility services joint venture established by Toyota and

Softbank is a Japanese multinational Investment company, investment holding company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, that focuses on investment management. The group primarily invests in companies operating in technology that offer goods and services ...

Overseas subsidiaries and affiliates

This an incomplete list of Hino's subsidiaries and affiliates outside Japan: * Hino Motors Canada, Ltd.—see

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) operates automobile manufacturing factories in Ontario, Canada. It is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor North America, itself a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan. The plant assembles compact cr ...

* Hino Motors Sales U.S.A. * Hino Motors Manufacturing Colombia * Harris Hino, Ireland * Hinopak Motors,

* Hino Motors Philippines Corporation (Pilipinas Hino, Inc.) * Samco (Vietnam) * Hino Motors Manufacturing Indonesia * Hino Motors Sales Indonesia * Hino Motors Manufacturing USA * Hino Motors Manufacturing (Thailand) Ltd. * Hino Motors Sales (Thailand) Co., Ltd. * Hino Motors Vietnam

Products

Trucks

Hino TH-series In May 1950 the heavy-duty Hino TH10 truck was introduced, equipped with the all-new 7-liter DS10 diesel engine. An eight-tonner, this was considerably larger than existing Japanese trucks which had rarely been built for more than payload. The mo ...

: a heavy duty bonneted truck, sold from 1950 until discontinued in favor of cab-over trucks in 1968. * Ford N Series trucks (sold 1980–1998 in Oceania) These were badge-engineered Hino Ranger models. * Profia (previously Super Dolphin Profia), sold as Hino 700 for export: heavy duty truck * Bonneted medium truck (for North America): coded Hino 600. * Dutro: light truck, also sold as Hino 300,

Toyota Dyna The Toyota Dyna () is a light to medium-duty cab over truck for commercial use. In the Japanese market, the Dyna is sold alongside its twin called the Toyota ToyoAce, Toyoace. The Toyoace was a renaming of the Toyopet SKB Truck as a result of a ...

, and Toyota Toyoace (hybrid version available) * Ranger 2 FA, FB, FC: light trucks replaced by Dutro. * Ranger: also sold as Hino 500, medium to heavy truck ** The Ranger KL was first introduced in 1969 ** The 2nd generation was launched in 1980 ** The 3rd generation of 1989 is called Rising Ranger and Cruising Ranger. ** The latest 4th generation (Ranger Pro) came in 2002 (hybrid version available) : The first generation Ranger KL spawned into KM, KR, and other variants in Australia. * 155 Class 4: light duty truck * XL: class 7/8 heavy trucks for the US and Canada File:Hino 300 Series Hybrid - Tokyo Motor Show 2013.jpg, Hino 300 Series Hybrid (US spec) File:Dutro125LTFlatBed.jpg, Hino Dutro 125LT File:FM320PContainer2020.jpg, Hino Jumbo Ranger File:JGSDF Track（HINO RANGER） in senzou 20130519.JPG, Hino Ranger commercial grade truck used by the JGSDF for peacetime/rear line duties Hino also sold the European truck Scania R 420 in Japan, in an agreement with the Swedish brand which was discontinued in 2011.

United States and Canada

USA and Canada only conventional/bonneted trucks Hino 600: * 145 Class 4: medium duty truck (discontinued) * 165 Class 4: medium duty truck (discontinued) * 185 Class 5: medium duty truck (discontinued) * 238 Class 6: medium duty truck * 258 Class 6: medium duty truck * 268 Class 6: medium duty truck * 338 Class 7: heavy duty truck * 358 Class 7: heavy duty truck File:165Hybrid.jpg, Hino 165 Hybrid File:Miller Lite pic1.jpg, Hino 338 T dashboard File:Hino 338 three-axle dumper.jpg, Hino 338 three-axle hook truck

Buses

Poncho A poncho (; ; ; "blanket", "woolen fabric") is a kind of plainly formed, loose outer garment originating in the Americas, traditionally and still usually made of fabric, and designed to keep the body warm. Ponchos have been used by the Indige ...

: Non-step light bus * Liesse & Liesse II: light bus ** The Liesse II is a rebadged

Toyota Coaster The is a single-decker minibus produced by Toyota Motor Corporation. It was introduced in 1969, with the second generation introduced in 1982, followed by the third generation in 1992 and the fourth generation in late 2016. In Japan, the Coa ...

. *

& Blue Ribbon II: city bus ** The Blue Ribbon II is a rebadged Isuzu Erga. *

Rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...

& Rainbow II: medium bus ** The Rainbow II is a rebadged Isuzu Erga Mio. * Melpha: medium bus * S'elega: luxury bus ** The new model is offered as High Decker and Super High Decker. * Front-engine chassis (FB, FC, GB, XZU): light bus * Front-engine chassis (AK, FF, FG): big bus * Mid-engine chassis (BG, BX, BT, CG, CM): big bus * Rear-engine chassis (RC, RF, RG, RM, RK, RU, RV, RN, HT): big bus * Front-engine Type C school bus chassis (Hino 338): Used in the production of the Starcraft Guardian

Thailand

* AK176 (EH700) * RU1JSSL * HU3KSKL * HU2ASKP-VJT * BX320 * BX321 * BX340 * FD1JKC * FD2JLB * FDH2HLA * FG8J * RK1JSL * HO7C

Philippines

* RC421(ER200) * RF821(EK100) * RM2KSS (K13D) * RK3HS (H07D) * RK1JMT (J08C-TK) * RK1JST (J08C-TK) * RM2PSS (P11C-TH) * RU2PSS (P11C-TE) * RK8JMUA (J08E-UB) * RK8JSUA (J08E-UB) * RN8J (J08E-UB) * FB2W * FB4J * FC3J * FC9JL7A (J05E-TY) * FF3H (H06D) * AK174 (EH700) * AK176 (EH700) * FG8JPSB (J08E-UG) * FG1JPUB (J08C-F) * FG1JPUZ (J08C-TT) * FG8JPUB (J08E-UG) * FG8JP7A (J08E-WF) * HT223A (M10U) * HT225A (M10U)

Fiji

AM100 * AC140 /W06D * AB115A /W04D * AK176K /EH700 * AK3HRK /H07D * AK1JRK /J08C * AK8JRK /J08E * BX341 /EH700 * BY320 /EB300/ EM100 * BX321 /EH300 * RJ172A /EH700 * RR172A /EH700

Pakistan

* Roadliner Bullet * Roadliner Supreme * Rapidliner Deluxe * Senator Pride * Hino Splendor * Citibus * Urban Bus * CNG Bus * Citiliner Classic * All Liner

Cuba

One small model for military and workers transportation (name of the model still unknown). * RC 1971: Urbans (RC 300), Regulars (RC 300AP), Specials (RC 200P for long run travels with air condition) * RV 850P 1977 and 1983 (400 buses) * RU 1987 (one bus) * NE 1977 (trucks) * NF 1983 (trucks) Others small trucks for food transportation.

Malaysia

* RE100 * BX300 * AK174K * AK176K/EH700 * AK1JRKA/J08C-NA * AK1JSKA * AK3HRKA/H07D * RK1JSKA/J08C-F * RK1MSLL/EM100 * RK1JSLL/J08C-TK * RM1ESKU/E13C-UT * RM2KSKA/K13D-K * RM1KSKU * RK8JSKA/J08E-WM * RN8JSKA/J08E-UF * RN8JSNA/J08E-WK * RN8JSPA/J08E-WM * XZU720R/N04C * Poncho Diesel * Poncho ZEV

Cars

* 4CV, built under license * Briska, a small pickup built in the 1960s * Contessa, passenger car built in the 1960s * Toyota FJ Cruiser, SUV built for Toyota, 2006–2022.

Aircraft

The Tokyo Gas & Electrical Industry Co. Ltd. (Gasuden), a predecessor company, was responsible for the production of several aircraft types in the 1930s as listed below: (''Tokyo Gasu Denki Kogyo KK'' - Tokyo Gas & Electrical Industry Co. Ltd.) * Gasuden KR-1 Small Passenger Transport * Gasuden KR-2 Small Passenger Transport * Gasuden Model 1 Trainer * Gasuden Model 2 Trainer * Gasuden Model 3 Trainer * Gasuden Koken Long-range Research aircraft * Gasuden TR-1 Medium Passenger Transport * Gasuden TR-2 Medium Passenger Transport

Motorsport

"Team Samurai" entered a Contessa in the Trans Am Series in 1966 at the race at

Riverside International Raceway Riverside International Raceway (sometimes known as Riverside, RIR, or Riverside Raceway) was a motorsports race track and road course established in the Edgemont area of Riverside County, California, just east of the city limits of Riversid ...

. After being retired due to a collision, the team withdrew from the series. Hino has competed in the

Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally () or simply "The Dakar" (), formerly known as the Paris–Dakar Rally (), is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). It is an off-road endurance event traversing terrain much tougher than convent ...

since 1991 with a Ranger FT 4WD truck driven by the Japanese rally driver, Yoshimasa Sugawara. Hino has always finished in the Top 10 in the Camion Category, and 1–2–3 overall in the 1997 event.

Concept vehicles

An autonomous modular concept vehicle, dubbed Flatformer, was co-developed by Hino and REE Automotive and displayed at the 2019

Tokyo Motor Show The , called (TMS) until 2023, is a biennial auto show held in October–November at the Tokyo Big Sight, Tokyo, Japan for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles. Hosted by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), it is a recog ...

. The Flatformer features a flat chassis platform that can have different chassis bodies interchanged autonomously on top of it, such as a body with package delivery cubbies, a body providing retail services, and a body for shuttling passengers.

Legal issues

In January 2025, Hino was ordered to pay a total of $1.6 billion in fines after agreeing to plead guilty to charges of fraud in the US District Court in Detroit for unlawfully selling heavy-duty diesel engines in the United States that did not meet emissions standards from 2010 to 2022.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Hino Motors Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1942 Japanese companies established in 1942 Automotive companies based in Tokyo Bus manufacturers of Japan Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Defense companies of Japan Diesel engine manufacturers Electric vehicle manufacturers of Japan Engine manufacturers of Japan Hybrid electric bus manufacturers motor vehicle manufacturers based in Tokyo Military vehicle manufacturers Toyota Group Truck manufacturers of Japan

History

Predecessors

Foundation of Hino and Post-World War II history

Amalgamation with Toyota

Canada

Colombia

India

Indonesia

Ireland

Israel

Mexico

Pakistan

Philippines

Russia

Thailand

United States

Vietnam

Facilities

Japan

Overseas subsidiaries and affiliates

Products

Trucks

United States and Canada

Buses

Thailand

Philippines

Fiji

Pakistan

Cuba

Malaysia

Cars

Aircraft

Motorsport

Concept vehicles

Legal issues

See also

References

External links