Chennai-Built Trucks Expand Fuso's African Presence

April 28, 2014

Ryan Gehm

The Fuso truck range manufactured at DICV’s Oragadam plant comprises five models spanning medium-/heavy-duty (25 to 49 t) and light-/medium-duty (9 to 16 t).

Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (DICV) and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp., a Daimler company, recently launched DICV-made trucks in Tanzania, the fourth market since the start of export in May 2013. The Fuso truck range manufactured at DICV’s Oragadam plant comprises five models spanning medium-/heavy-duty—25 to 49 t (27.5 to 54 ton) referred to as FJ, FO, and FZ—and light-/medium-duty—9 to 16 t (10 to 17.6 ton) referred to as FA and FI. The trucks, already available in Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Zambia with more markets to follow in Africa and Asia, will be sold through the exclusive dealer Diamond Motors Ltd. in Tanzania. With a presence in more than 35 African markets, Fuso claims it almost doubled sales in the first two months of 2014 to 1060 units from 580 units in the same period of 2013. The market expansion is part of Daimler Trucks Asia’s Asia Business Model introduced in 2013, which is attempting to create synergies between the Japan-based Mitsubishi Fuso and DICV.