Japan’s market for medium and large buses and coaches continued to shrink in the fourth quarter of 2020, by almost 39% to 1,564 units after declining by 20% to 2,550 units in the same period of last year, as demand for public service buses remained depressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Japan’s medium and heavy truck market over 4.5 tons gvw increased by almost 13% to 40,062 units in the fourth quarter of 2020 after declining by almost 20% to 35,518 units a year earlier, reflecting a sharp rebound in fixed investment and exports.

Japan’s market for light commercial vehicles between 2.0 & 4.5 tons gvw expanded by just over 4% to 57,210 units in the fourth quarter of 2020 from weak year-earlier sales of 54,981 units, resulting in a decline of just over 13% to 267,007 units over the full-year.

Japan’s commercial vehicle market over 2 tons gvw expanded by 6% to 98,836 units in the fourth quarter of 2020 from weak year-earlier sales of 93,049 units, based on data released the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

The market for commercial vehicles over 2 tons gvw in East Asia’s seven main markets (excluding China) fell by just 2.6% to 385,943 units in the fourth quarter of 2020 after declining by close to 13% to 396,046 units in the same period of 2019, according to data compiled by www.AsiaMotorBusiness.com from numerous industry sources.

Isuzu Motors Ltd, Hino Motors Ltd and Toyota Motor Corporation, have agreed on a new partnership in commercial vehicles.

PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta), the main public bus consortium for Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta, in December announced it wants to have 10,000 electric buses in service by 2030, according to local reports.

Toyota Motor Corporation of Toyota, Japan has agreed with three major convenience store operators in Japan to begin trials of hydrogen-powered fuel-cell delivery trucks later this year.

Volvo Bus Thailand Company of Bangkok is looking to expand sales this year by expanding its customer base beyond the tourist industry with a new focus on coach sales to factories and state agencies for worker transportation contracts, according to a company executive, Kulkarineetham Dechchai, managing director of Volvo Bus Thailand.

Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) of Seoul, South Korea in February began construction of a plant in China to manufacture hydrogen fuel cell systems, in anticipation of rapid growth in automotive demand for propulsion using this alternative fuel.

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, headquartered in Kawasaki City in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture, which is majority-owned by Daimler AG of Stuttgart, Germany and operates under the brand name Fuso, launched the new Canter in the United Arab Emirates in December.

Isuzu Motors Ltd, headquartered in Tokyo’s Shinagawa district and Kyokuto Kaihatsu Kogyo Company, based in Nishinomiya, Hyogo prefecture, have developed a new rear-body monitoring system for heavy trucks using connected technologies.