Mitsubishi Fuso, Foxconn Form Electric Bus Joint Venture in Japan

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, a subsidiary of Daimler Truck, has established a joint venture with Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn to develop and manufacture electric buses in Japan. The companies announced the partnership on January 22, 2026.

The joint venture will operate as an independent electric bus original equipment manufacturer and is scheduled to commence operations in the second half of 2026. It will initially focus on the Japanese market and develop zero-emission buses for public transportation use.

The partnership brings together Mitsubishi Fuso Bus Manufacturing and Foxtron Vehicle Technologies, a subsidiary of Foxconn. The companies said the joint venture will combine expertise across vehicle development, production, supply chain management and distribution.

The headquarters of the new company will be located in Kawasaki, Japan. Electric buses developed under the joint venture will carry the Fuso brand and will be manufactured at Fuso’s existing bus production facility in Toyama.

Katsuto Kora, who currently heads Fuso’s bus division, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the joint venture. Fuso’s bus division is focused on the Japanese market and does not operate in Europe.

According to the companies, the first electric bus models produced by the joint venture will be based on Foxtron’s Model T and Model U platforms. These vehicles will be used as reference designs for the initial product lineup.

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The Model T is a 12-metre electric city bus that was unveiled in 2021 and is already in operation in several cities, including Taipei, Taiwan, as well as in Indonesia. Foxtron has stated that the Model T offers a driving range of up to 400 kilometres.

The Model U is a smaller electric bus that was presented in October 2024. It features a modular interior layout and can accommodate up to 21 passengers, depending on seating configuration. The company has not disclosed final technical specifications, as the vehicle remains in prototype or reference design stage.

Karl Deppen, Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Fuso, said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Foxconn. This partnership combines the strengths of both companies and will accelerate our transformation in the bus sector.”

Jun Seki, Chief Strategy Officer for Electric Vehicles at Foxconn, said, “This collaboration with Mitsubishi Fuso will deliver a comprehensive electrification solution for Japan’s transport system.”

Fuso and Foxconn had earlier signed a memorandum of understanding in August 2025 to explore cooperation in zero-emission mobility. The companies said discussions at that stage were centred on electric bus development.

Daimler Truck, which has held a majority stake in Mitsubishi Fuso since 2005, was not directly involved in the joint venture structure. The companies did not disclose financial details, shareholding structure, or planned production volumes for the new venture.

Further details on product rollout and customer deployments are expected closer to the start of operations in 2026.