Foxconn enters Japan through MFTBC e-bus venture

Foxconn and Mitsubishi Fuso have announced they will establish a joint venture bus company in the second half of 2026, combining the Japanese commercial vehicle maker’s design and development expertise with the Taiwanese electronics giant’s electrification technology. The new standalone entity will produce e-buses at Mitsubishi Fuso’s Toyama factory under the Fuso brand, with current bus division head Katsuto Kora designated as its Chief Executive.

Announced on 22 January, the JV will see two companies cooperating comprehensively on the development, production, supply chain management and sales of e-buses, including the Foxtron-developed Model T and Model U. The new company will be headquartered in Kawasaki, focusing on quickly developing and launching e-buses for domestic and international markets while continuing to improve the conventional diesel portfolio.

In a statement, Fuso Chief Executive Karl Deppen said: “By combining FUSO and Foxconn’s extensive experience and technological know-how, we will offer customers state-of-the art solutions for public transport, thereby contributing to society both in Japan and abroad.” Jun Seki, Foxconn’s Chief Strategy Officer for electric vehicles, added that the partnership “will provide a comprehensive electrification solution for Japan’s transportation ecosystem”.

The deal is a major boon for Foxconn, which has been aggressively pursuing partnerships with Japan’s legacy automakers for years. It marks the contract manufacturing giant’s first production footprint on Japanese soil, and could potentially open the door for deeper production agreements over time. 

Previously, the Japanese government had made efforts to resist Foxconn staking a presence in Japan’s automotive industry, reportedly going as far as to court Tesla as a potential Nissan investor at the height of the latter’s financial struggles. At the time, Foxconn had acknowledged it was interested in investing in Nissan, which had at the time rejected a proposed merger with Honda upon realising it would become a subsidiary and not an equal partner. Tesla’s Elon Musk later shot down any possibility of an investment.

The JV deepens a strategic partnership announced in August, when Foxconn and Fuso signed a memorandum of understanding to explore collaboration on e-buses and other clean mobility initiatives. Foxconn’s ambitions in Japan former part of its effort to position itself as the “Android of EVs” through its MIH open platform, which allows legacy automakers to launch electric models without the associated lengthy research and development cycles.