Fleet buyers across Australia and New Zealand are watching closely after Daimler Truck, Mitsubishi Fuso, Hino Motors and Toyota Motor Corporation announced the signing of Definitive Agreements to merge Mitsubishi Fuso and Hino under a new holding company.
The deal—described by the companies as an equal integration of Fuso and Hino—aims to create a new Japanese truck powerhouse with more than 40,000 employees. The combined group will focus on joint development, procurement, and production of commercial vehicles, including Connected, Autonomous, Shared, Electric (CASE) technologies and hydrogen.
The new holding company is expected to be operational from April 2026, with Karl Deppen, current CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso, appointed as the CEO of the group. Daimler Truck and Toyota will each hold 25% of the new listed company.
But what will this mean for Australian and New Zealand fleet buyers, who rely on both brands to power urban, regional, and long-haul transport operations?
“We are shaping the industry”
“This is a great day for all our stakeholders,” said Karl Deppen, CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso and designated CEO of the new holding company.
“We are shaping the industry by bundling our strengths. With a strong new company, we combine our two trusted brands, our resources, competencies and expertise to even better support our customers in their transportation needs in the future”.
For local buyers, this raises key questions:
- Will Fuso and Hino products remain distinct and complementary?
- Could there be product overlap or platform sharing?
- How might dealer networks and parts support be affected?
- Will the alliance drive faster access to new technology in key markets like Australia and New Zealand?
Fleet managers will be seeking clear answers over the next 12–18 months.
A “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”
Satoshi Ogiso, CEO of Hino, described the integration as a rare opportunity.
“The collaboration of these four companies is truly a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,’” he said. “In addition to the business synergies, the synergistic effects arising from the meeting and blending of different cultures and environments are immeasurable. I am confident that we will become a strong and resilient team that empathises with each other and contributes to society under the same shared aspirations”.
The promise of blending cultures and competencies may bring new thinking into the product pipelines of both brands. For buyers in Australia and NZ, who already benefit from strong Hino and Fuso product offerings in light, medium, and heavy-duty segments, this could mean more innovation—and potentially more competition.
“Scale is key”
Karin Rådström, CEO of Daimler Truck, underlined that this is about long-term competitiveness in a fast-changing industry.
“The now decided integration of Mitsubishi Fuso and Hino Motors is truly historic,” she said. “We are bringing together two strong partners to form an even stronger company and to successfully shape the decarbonisation of transportation.”
“Together, Mitsubishi Fuso and Hino Motors have great potential to leverage scale—and scale is key to win in the technological transformation of our industry”.
For local operators focused on zero-emission trucks and advanced safety technologies, the combined scale could mean faster availability of next-generation trucks—especially in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, where both Toyota and Fuso already have active programs.
“Not the goal but the starting line”
Toyota CEO Koji Sato reinforced that the agreement is only the beginning.
“We believe that the future is for us to build together. Today’s final agreement is not the goal but the starting line,” he said. “Our four companies, aiming to achieve a sustainable mobility society, will continue to create the future of commercial vehicles together”.
That future could bring benefits—and disruption—for local fleet buyers:
✅ Will common platforms mean faster technology deployment across both brands?
✅ Could hydrogen fuel cell trucks reach Australian fleets sooner?
✅ Will aftermarket support be strengthened through combined global resources?
✅ Or could local dealer networks and brand strategies face rationalisation?
Key questions for local fleets
With the holding company not set to launch until April 2026, there is time for Fuso and Hino to develop their local strategy. However, fleet managers will be looking for clarity well before then.
- Will both brands continue to offer distinct product ranges, or will there be consolidation of offerings?
- How will current Fuso and Hino dealer and service networks be affected?
- Will shared development accelerate rollout of new models or CASE technologies in our market?
- Will parts pricing, warranties, and total cost of ownership be impacted?
As Australian and New Zealand fleets increasingly focus on emissions reduction, safety, and operational efficiency, the combined power of these two iconic Japanese brands could help deliver solutions. But fleets will want certainty about what this merger will mean for their future procurement plans.
Fleet Auto News will continue to follow this story closely and report on developments as the local impacts become clearer.
