Traton, Hino Motors ink JV for e-mobility products

Traton, a subsidiary of Volkswagen and a leading CV manufacturer worldwide with its brands MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Caminhoes e Onibus, and Riose has signed a JV with Japan’s Hino Motors, the truck and bus brand representing Toyota Group, for e-mobility in order to plan and provide e-mobility products that will be based on the two companies’ strategic partnership to offer customers the highest value.

The partners will combine their unique strengths to consequently develop electric vehicles including battery electric vehicles (BEV), fuel cell vehicles (FCV), and relevant components as well as creating common EV platforms including software and interfaces. They will form a team of advanced specialists from both companies and launch activities in Sodertalje (Sweden) and in a second step in Tokyo (Japan). Traton and Hino will team up to shorten lead times for future e-mobility products with battery and fuel cell technology, as they are convinced that both technologies will be needed in the future.

Yoshio Shimo, president and CEO, Hino Motors said: “I am delighted that we can follow our procurement joint venture and further embodying our synergy with Traton in e-mobility, helping to reduce global CO2 emissions and fighting global warming. We will combine our strengths as leading commercial vehicle manufacturers to offer EVs with the highest value for customers, through joint planning of commercial EVs.”

Matthias Grundler, CEO, Traton GROUP said: “Traton’s mission is to carefully balance the interests of people, planet and performance. This new joint venture with our strong partner Hino is the next important step in electrification, pushing our mission further ahead.”
Grundler reiterated Traton Group’s goal to invest 1 billion EUR (Rs 8,267 crore) until 2025 in electrification.

It may be recollected that in 2018, Hino and Traton had signed an agreement aiming for a mutually beneficial strategic long-term partnership. Based on their shared principle of offering customers the highest value possible, they established a procurement JV in 2019, and have now solidified their collaboration in e-mobility. Both companies have agreed to explore each other's capabilities and investigate further possibilities to collaborate in other future fields of technology.