Isuzu, Hino to Tie Up in Environmental Tech Development

Tokyo, Aug 27, 2007; Jiji Press reported that Japanese truck maker Isuzu and Toyota announced that they will work together to develop a system to make diesel engine exhaust cleaner. The Japanese truck makers have agreed to develop environment-related technologies, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Under the tie-up deal, which will be announced Monday, Isuzu and Hino will jointly develop a technology to decontaminate diesel engine exhaust emissions for use in their large trucks, the sources said.

The alliance would help accelerate technological development at lower cost, ahead of Japan's introduction in 2009 of stricter regulations requiring large trucks to cut their emissions of nitrogen oxide and particle matter by 60 pct or more from current levels. The development of emission gas purification technology is estimated to cost several tens of billions of yen.

In November last year, Toyota Motor Corp. acquired a 5.9 pct equity stake in Isuzu, and the two companies have agreed to jointly develop a new diesel engine by 2012. The latest tie-up deal with Hino, a commercial vehicle subsidiary of Toyota, will bring Isuzu much closer to the Toyota group.