Scania has established its own sales and service company in Japan.
Scania will initially concentrate on increasing sales of vehicles in niche segments, including the very heaviest truck segment.
Sol Bong Chai, managing director of Scania Japan, said: “In the short term, our greatest potential lies in sales of special vehicles, such as tractor units for heavy road transport.
“Domestic manufacturers produce only a limited range of such vehicles… we can offer special vehicles tailored for the Japanese market.”
Scania also sees potential demand for industrial equipment for use in reconstruction work following Japan’s earthquake earlier this year.
Regarding the firm’s established relationship with Japanese truck and bus manufacturer Hino, Martin Lundstedt, head of franchise and factory sales, said: “The exchange of knowledge at the strategic level that we have enjoyed over the years with Hino has been valuable, but we have jointly decided to limit our future co-operation to a customer-supplier relationship.”
Scania will remain as distributor of Hino’s medium-duty trucks in South Korea, with responsibility for sales and service. In Japan, Hino will continue to provide parts and services for some 400 Scania tractor units that the company delivered between 2003 and 2010.
