For the first time in the history of Japanese passenger car awards, the “Car of the Year Special Award 2013” has been awarded to a truck manufacturer. The winner is the Japanese Daimler Commercial Vehicles subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC). The non-profit organization singled out the innovative, fully-automated dual-clutch transmission DUONIC® paired with a highly efficient hybrid drive at the “Automotive Researchers´ and Journalists´ Conference” (RJC) held in Japan. This technology, which is unique in the commercial vehicles industry, completes the light-duty truck Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid, which is also serially produced for the European market in Tramagal, Portugal since September of this year.
The RJC organization founded in 1990 is comprised of automotive experts and journalists from the automobile industry in Japan. The annual “Car of the Year Award” is one of the most prominent automobile awards in Japan.
Dr. Albert Kirchmann, MFTBC President and CEO: “We are honored to have received this prestigious award. It is a huge milestone achieved at Fuso in Japan and a great honor for the Daimler Trucks Group.” Kirchmann underlines: “The award is proof of Fuso’s leadership role in green innovation.”
A particularly persuasive argument for winning the title “Car of the Year Special Award 2013” is the DUONIC® dual-clutch transmission with a built-in hybrid drive in the Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid. This drive technology, combined with a powerful lithium-ion battery, reaps top scores for fuel economy and low emissions. Thus, the Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid uses up to 23 percent less fuel than a comparable conventional Fuso Canter.
The power transmission of the Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid is one of the excellent technical features of the light-duty truck. A great advantage: During driving, the next gear is already pre-set, thus ensuring a seamless gear change without any flux.
Growth Strategy “FUSO 2015” – Leader in Green Innovation
Through the optimization of truck operating costs (total cost of ownership) and the reduction of CO2 emissions by 7.5 percent, Fuso is on the way to playing a key role in fuel efficiency and green innovations. This claim is based on one of the five strategic pillars of the “FUSO 2015” growth strategy, with which Fuso plans to double its international sales to 200,000 units per year in the medium-term.
