Yoshio Shimo, president and CEO of Hino Motors Ltd and Andreas Renschler, CEO of Traton AG and member of the board of management of Volkswagen AG responsible for commercial vehicles.

Traton AG (formerly Volkswagen Truck and Bus) and Hino Motors Ltd have announced new details on their strategic partnership, with both partners agreeing on two strategic initiatives: to join forces in e-mobility and to establish a procurement joint venture.

In April Traton and Hino entered a strategic partnership. Since this agreement, both companies have established working level committees and explored cooperation opportunities in existing and new technologies as well as in procurement.

“The last couple of months have confirmed what we sensed when we announced our partnership in spring 2018: Hino and Traton share the same motivation of providing highest value for our customers,” said Yoshio Shimo, president and CEO of Hino Motors Ltd. “I am delighted that we made good progress in the field of e-mobility and procurement. With every new meeting, I gain confidence that we are moving in the right direction to strengthen our relationship of trust and to pursue further possibilities.”

Andreas Renschler, CEO of Traton AG and member of the management board of Volkswagen AG responsible for commercial vehicles, said the partnership between Traton and Hino would be a source of strength for both partners.

“Our sector is changing. Together, we will be able to shape the ongoing transformation of transportation. Our partnership is taking concrete shape, and we are continuously identifying new opportunities. The cooperation in e-mobility and the establishment of a procurement joint venture is just the beginning.”

In e-mobility, Traton and Hino plan to share their development efforts and market products in shorter time. Hino has a history of more than 25 years in electrified vehicles and the largest running fleet of hybrid commercial vehicles in the world. Next year in Japan Hino will start sales of a heavy-duty hybrid truck (Hino PROFIA Hybrid) with an AI-based hill anticipation hybrid control system. The partners have complementary approaches: while Traton is focused on heavy-duty applications, Hino focuses on light- and medium-duty trucks. Joining forces will strengthen the innovation power of the partners.