Foxconn, Mitsubishi Fuso partner to export electric buses

鴻海（Foxconn）與三菱扶桑 （Mitsubishi Fuso）攜手出口電動巴士

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Foxconn and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus plan to export electric buses made in Japan by 2030, Nikkei Asia reported Monday.

The two companies will establish a 50-50 joint venture in the second half of 2026 focused on bus development and production. Manufacturing will take place at Mitsubishi Fuso’s plant in Toyama.

Foxconn will contribute electric vehicle development expertise, while Mitsubishi Fuso will bring manufacturing experience. The partnership aims to develop a new electric bus model around 2027.

In the initial phase, vehicle bodies produced at Foxconn’s Taiwan facilities will be shipped to Japan for assembly and sale. Local production will then ramp up, with full end-to-end manufacturing in Japan targeted within two to three years.

The companies plan to begin exporting the buses around 2030, focusing on Southeast Asia and Australia, where Mitsubishi Fuso already has an established presence. They are also considering exporting conventional large-engine buses tailored to local market needs.

Foxconn is expanding into contract-based EV design and manufacturing as a new growth driver beyond electronics. While it has deployed electric buses in Taiwan since 2022, the company aims to scale globally by leveraging Mitsubishi Fuso’s production network.

The move comes as Chinese manufacturers led by BYD dominate the global electric bus market, with cost advantages from mass production. China accounted for nearly 80% of global output last year, and BYD has rapidly expanded exports with competitively priced vehicles.

Japanese automakers face mounting pressure as domestic demand shrinks and competition intensifies. Bus sales in Japan have fallen to about half their peak, pushing companies to pursue overseas markets and cross-border partnerships to maintain scale and competitiveness.