The Malaysian market for pickup trucks increased by almost 12% year-on-year to 14,685 units in the fourth quarter of 2021 after surging by 37% to 13,145 units in the same period of the previous year, resulting in a 21% rise in full-year sales to 39,832 units after a 4% fall to 33,034 units previously.  

December 2021 saw Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (FUSO) of Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, announce it has agreed to collaborate with Tokyo-based Orix Corporation to provide clients of its battery-powered trucks with environmentally-friendly (green) electricity. 

The South Korean Ministry for Land, Infrastructure & Transport in late December 2021 announced that trials of hydrogen fuel-cell trucks in real logistics operating environments had begun to help determine accurately the full eco-system requirements before these vehicles are introduced commercially.  

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) of Kawasaki City in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture, has upgraded its range of light-, medium- and heavy-duty Fuso trucks for the 2022 season in Taiwan to meet Euro VI emission standards.  

Volvo Trucks Korea Co Ltd of Yongsan-gu, Seoul in February announced it plans to introduce a battery-powered heavy-duty truck onto the South Korean market in 2023, as it looks to strengthen its position as the leading imported truck brand in the country. 

Industrial conglomerate, Indonesia’s Bakrie & Brothers Tbk (BNBR) announced in December it is now focused increasingly on expanding its renewable energy business and is working on supplying battery-powered electric vehicles (EV) for the country’s public transportation network.  

March 10-12 saw MAN Truck & Bus (M) Sdn Bhd (MAN Malaysia) of Johor use this year’s Malaysia Commercial Vehicle Expo (MCVE) 2022 to launch the all-new MAN TGX flagship model for the first time ever in Malaysia. 

Logistics company FGV Transport Services Sdn Bhd announced late last year it took delivery of 44 TGS 6x4 prime movers which was just recently introduced to the market in November 2021*, from MAN Truck & Bus (M) Sdn Bhd (MAN Malaysia) of Johor (a subsidiary of Germany’s MAN Truck & Bus SE). 

Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) and Iveco Group have agreed to explore opportunities to collaborate in several key areas ranging from advanced vehicle technologies to joint component sourcing and mutual vehicle supply. Senior figures from both companies signed the MoU agreements in Seoul.

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.

A well-established distributor of construction, materials handling and other machinery products, Sunway Trading and Manufacturing, a subsidiary of the Sunway Group, based in Sunway City, Malaysia, announced in February it has acquired Dongfeng Commercial Vehicle Malaysia (DFCVM), the local distributor of China’s Dongfeng Motor Corporation.

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.