CJPT in Japan, a technology development partnership company and JV involving Toyota Motor Corporation, Hino Motors Ltd (a Toyota subsidiary) and Isuzu Motors Ltd, has announced a programme to research a standard, commercial, swappable and rechargeable battery cartridge for use in electric vehicles.

The three Japanese firms will develop hydrogen fuel cell-powered light trucks for the mass market through their research joint venture Commercial Japan Partnership Technologies, established last year to “help address various challenges facing the transportation industry as well as contribute to the achievement of a carbon-neutral society.”

Indonesia's government finally makes Euro IV mandatory for new vehciles.

Isuzu Motors Ltd, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Hino Trucks Ltd of Hino-shi, Japan, announced at the end of February they plan to begin production of a new battery-powered (BEV) flat-floor route buses in the 2024 financial year, as they look to strengthen their respective efforts towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.  

Hino Motors Corporation (a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Company) of Hino-Shi, Japan in early March suspended sales of several medium- and heavy-duty vehicle models in Japan after admitting to falsifying engine performance data to obtain emissions and fuel economy certifications.

Japan’s Isuzu Motors Ltd said in June that it had reached an agreement  to supply light/medium-duty N-series trucks between 6-9 tons gvw to Hino Motor for sale in North America from October to help its rival deal with a production short-fall.

Hino Motors Ltd, headquartered in Tokyo, announced in June it would launch a battery-powered version of its popular, Poncho medium-duty bus in Japan in early 2022 as it looks to expand its portfolio of zero-emission vehicles.

Hino 700 series trucks built for the Australian market will be installed with Allison 3000 and 4000 automatic transmissions as standard.

The Dutro Z EV, a next-generation ultra-low-floor, front-wheel drive light-duty electric truck with a walk-through van-style configuration designed to be both user-friendly and emissions-free, will be introduced in Japan in early summer 2022.

Automated Mapping Platform (AMP) is a connected crowdsourced software platform supporting the creation, development and distribution of high definition (HD) maps―a key enabler for smart and safe automated mobility.

Hino Motors Ltd of Hino-shi from mid-2022 plans to release onto the Japanese market, the Hino Dutro Z EV – the company’s first full-scale electric vehicle which is designed for ‘last mile deliveries.’

Hino Motors Ltd of Hino-shi and ‘electric skateboard chassis builder,’ REE Automotive (REE*) of Tel Aviv, Israel, have signed a strategic business alliance agreement to realise their shared vision of “providing new value to society through next-generation commercial mobility.”