Hino Motors, Toyota Motor’s truck division, and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus, a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, have declared plans to merge manufacturing operations in Japan. The decision serves as an initial step toward the upcoming merger and the establishment of a new holding company named Archion.
The consolidation will cut the number of truck manufacturing sites in Japan from five to three, concentrating operations at the Kawasaki Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, the Koga Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, and the Nitta Plant in Gunma Prefecture.
As part of the restructuring plan, Mitsubishi Fuso will close its Nakatsu facility in Aikawa, while Hino will transfer ownership of its Hamura plant in Tokyo to Toyota. Hino and Mitsubishi Fuso also plan to jointly invest in next-generation technologies, supported by Toyota and Daimler Truck, both of which will hold a 25% stake in the newly formed holding company, Archion. The full integration of operations under Archion is slated for completion by April.
Archion’s executive team has been finalized, with Karl Deppen from Mitsubishi Fuso appointed as CEO, Hetal Laligi as CFO and Hino Motors President Satoshi Ogiso as Chief Technology Officer.
The merger aims to combine Hino’s strengths in medium- and heavy-duty trucks with Mitsubishi Fuso’s specialization in light-duty vehicles, fostering collaboration to deliver more competitive products, streamline operations, and accelerate the launch of new models.
The companies plan to redirect the cost savings from the integration into investments within the CASE domain (Connected, Autonomous & Automated, Shared, and Electric mobility).
In addition, Archion aims to create a full lineup of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), leveraging the technological expertise and extensive resources of both the Toyota and Daimler Truck networks.
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