FUSO Tramagal Plant Celebrates 60 Years of Manufacturing Trucks

• The Portuguese subsidiary of MFTBC is currently one of the largest employers in the region
• Mitsubishi Fuso Truck Europe (S.A. (MFTE) has been manufacturing FUSO vehicles for Europe for more than 40 years and currently produces the Canter and eCanter
• MFTE reached an all-time production record of about 11,800 units in 2023

Tramagal, Portugal - Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (hereafter MFTBC; headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President and CEO: Karl Deppen) is pleased to announce that its subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck Europe S.A. (hereafter MFTE; headquarters: Tramagal, Portugal; President and CEO: Arne Barden) is celebrating the 60^th anniversary of its plant.

The MFTE plant is the largest employer in the region and in 2023, approximately 11,800 trucks were built and delivered to customers establishing the facility’s all-time production record.

The Tramagal Plant’s Production History
In the 60 years since production began, more than 260,000 units have been manufactured in Tramagal - including FUSO’s light-duty Canter, which the plant started producing in 1980. Today, the vehicles assembled at MFTE are shipped to 32 European markets.

The facility in Tramagal was founded in 1964 as a joint venture of the family-run Portuguese firm Duarte Ferreira and the former French truck manufacturer Berliet.

Operations began with CKD assembly (completely knocked down) including the FUSO brand in 1980. In the following years, it assembled the FUSO Canter light-duty truck for the Portuguese market, as well as the medium-duty FUSO truck, the Mitsubishi Motor’s L 200 pick-up truck, the L 300 van, and the Pajero SUV.

In 1990, the plant was acquired by the Portuguese import company Mitsubishi Motors Portugal.

In 1996, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation took over the plant and decided to focus production on the FUSO Canter. It became part of Daimler AG in 2004 after the automaker acquired the majority share of MFTBC.

In 2017, the facility began producing FUSO’s first battery-electric eCanter in series production for European markets. This continues to the present with the new eCanter.

A role model for sustainable production
Since 2022, the Tramagal plant has achieved CO₂ neutrality in its operations, thanks to the on-site generation of green electricity and other measures. The plant aims to become a climate-positive facility by continuously improving its ecological strategy. contributing to the reduction of more CO₂ emissions from the atmosphere than those emitted by the plant's operations.

Another measure MFTE is taking towards sustainability is reducing its water consumption. Their new water treatment plant treats more than 60 percent of process water and returns it to the production cycle.

Employer of choice for generations of workers
At the Tramagal plant, it is not uncommon for employment to span generations in a family, extending to a third and in some instances even a fourth generation.

“We witness a lot of changes over time, but in the end, we are still here making trucks”, said Paulo Simão, Head of Procurement whose grandfather and father worked at the plant. Currently, his son, Miguel Simão, works in maintenance.

This is because MFTE focuses on developing its employees by providing new skills as the industry transitions.

Last year, MFTE announced its partnership with the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Portugal to provide training for its staff.

The new training program seeks to provide career prospects for young professionals in the region by bolstering their knowledge of emobility and production engineering. This program will start in the second half of 2024.

MFTBC at a Glance

Based in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, with 89.29% of its shares owned by Daimler Truck AG and 10.71% by various Mitsubishi group companies. An icon in the Japanese commercial vehicle industry with a longstanding history of over 90 years with its FUSO brand, MFTBC manufactures a range of commercial vehicles including light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and buses, and industrial engines for approximately 170 markets worldwide. In 2017, MFTBC introduced the eCanter, the first all-electric light-duty truck in series-production and in 2019, the Super Great – Japan’s first heavy-duty truck fitted with Level 2 Automated Driving Support Technology, a benchmark in the Japanese commercial vehicle market. MFTBC operates under the umbrella of Daimler Truck Asia, together with its partner organization Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) in India. This strategic unit allows the entities to collaborate on areas such as product development, parts sourcing and production to provide the best value to customers.

FUSO at a Glance

FUSO is a Daimler Truck brand, offering a range of commercial vehicles from light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and buses, to industrial engines and connectivity solutions for about 170 markets worldwide. A longstanding landmark in Japan’s commercial vehicle landscape, the brand has leveraged Japanese quality and craftsmanship to set benchmarks in efficiency, safety, and comfort for 90 years. FUSO is particularly renowned for its offerings in the light-duty segment. The Canter light-duty truck claims the top market share in various markets around the world. In 2017 the eCanter became the first series produced all-electric light-duty truck in Japan, establishing FUSO as a pioneer in eMobility. FUSO promises customers a “Future Together,” a bold claim that continues to drive the brand’s contributions to safe and sustainable transport.