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Home ＞ Corporate Voices ＞ Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation - Kitsuregawa Proving Ground
| Company Name | Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation - Kitsuregawa Proving Ground |
|---|---|
| Address | 〒329-1411 4300 Washijuku, Sakura City, Tochigi Prefecture |
| TEL | See Website for contacts |
| Website | http://www.mitsubishi-fuso.com/en/index.html ※Click to open a separate window |
For more than 80 years since B46 "Fuso" bus was manufactured in 1932. The brand has been developed and recognized in all over the world in Asia, Middle East and other area. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation provides reliable trucks and buses for customers with quality, efficiency and harmony with environment in mind. We visited Kitsuregawa Proving Ground, and interviewed with Hiroaki Obara, Administration Specialist of Administration and Labor Management Department.
【Prototype Truck Assembly】
【Preparation for Engine Testing】
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (here in after Mitsubishi Fuso) became a member of truck and bus division of Daimler Chrisler AG (currently Daimler AG) together with Mercedes-Benz AG, and Freight Liner AG.
Daimler means Mercedes-Benz in cars, but in trucks and bus section, the world market is separated into and covered by our three operations, Mercedes-Benz in Europe, Freight Liner in America, and Mitsubishi Fuso in Asia.
Especially Mitsubishi Fuso's Kitsuregawa Proving Ground is responsible for the research and development in Mitsubishi Fuso, it plays a very important roll for the products development.
The Kitsuregawa Proving Ground was commissioned in 1980 to provide a world class of test course facilities for validating the development and testing work for trucks and buses. The capabilities of the facilities have been boosted since 1980, and able to perform an ample R & D testing with an addition of anti-lock brake testing circuit, EMI testing wing, engine research wing, and drivetrain component testing wing.
To anticipate and meet future needs and requirements, the facilities are currently engaged in the advance research of engines and other components, vehicles on-road testing, as well as bench testing of functions, performances, durability and reliability.
At the development of the site, there were two requirements, a vast land site for testing course and not far distance from Kawasaki City where our development base are located. Both requirements were met by here in Kitsuregawa, Sakura City and had been selected.
Nowadays, after we became a part of Daimler AG, we have been accepting more visitors from overseas. We feel this location is very convenient for them with locating not so far from Narita or Tokyo.
If it is allow us to tell some additions, we wish if we could have a better connection on Utsunomiya Train Line for taking trips from Kawasaki City where our headquarters and development functions are located. Basically here is a convenient place having Shinkansen station in Utsunomiya and an access for expressways.
We are not manufacturing in here, because this is a research facility. Kitsuregawa proving ground performs researching and testing of products before marketing, in another terms, we are supporting our product development from under the floor in Tochigi.
In the broad range of meaning, it may be said that Mitsubishi truck and buses are made in Tochigi.
New Canter trucks, the product introduced in 2010 were tested and developed in Kitsuregawa. It provides the world top class of clean diesel engine for environments, top class of fuel consumptions for economy, operation cost reductions, higher grade of safety, and operation maneuverability. All of them are results of our researches in Kitsuregawa, and been equipped on Canter trucks now sold not only in Japan but also in abroad.
Also, hybrid related developments in Dimler Group are made by Mitsubishi Fuso mainly. The hybrid technologies are developed by Mitsubishi Fuso and extended to Mercedes-Benz in Europe and Freight-Liner in the Americas to introduce their hybrid vehicles in each market.
These days, to focus on hybrid vehicle research, testing system and equipment had been newly added in 2010. Please look forward to the progress made in Kitsuregara Proving Ground.
Kitsuregawa Proving Ground is accepting plant tours for not only customers for trucks and buses, but also neighboring elementary schools and parties in order to introduce us to as many people as possible.
We had a special event to inaugurate 30-year anniversary in last year.
Many local people visited us and enjoyed for testing drive of trucks and buses.
Also we are supporting club-activities of neighboring junior high schools and universities which take a part in eco-car, solar-car, mileage marathon, or all Japan students F-1 competitions, by renting our test courses for their test driving.
Herein after further,r we would like to support club-activities of junior high schools and universities, if there is a request from outside of Tochigi, we would like to accept it.
For the local contribution activities, we do not have any specific other than the above mentioned, but through our plant tours for students or other parties, we would like to communicate more often.
Several days ago, we took students from elementary schools for touring in our test courses by bus. By seeing those students who very much enjoyed, we would like to extend our plant tour for 5th grade students at elementary schools for their social learning class.
In order to let Tochigi people know that our trucks and buses, developed with a consideration for safety or environment, are born through researches and tests
performed in here at Kitsuregawa Proving Ground. We would like to invite and communicate with more local people through the occasions such as plant tours for students or company's events.
Especially, trucks and buses are not so popular as cars for them, we believe such occasions may bring them better understanding for our company.
