The Tramagal Plant prepares an emobility-focused partnership
with the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar

• The MFTE Tramagal Plant in Portugal is preparing for a partnership to bolster employee training and career opportunities, focusing especially on emobility and production engineering
• A new employee training program will begin in the second half of 2024
• The Portuguese subsidiary of MFTBC is currently one of the largest employers in the region

A bird’s-eye view of the Tramagal Plant

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 preparing for a partnership with the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, Portugal. The aim is to encourage employee development through a new training program slated for the second half of 2024, while providing career prospects for young professionals in the region.

The MFTE plant is currently undergoing a growth phase, both in terms of employee number and production volume. In May 2023, MFTE began the large-scale series production of the all-electric eCanter for European markets. Now, over 600 employees are based in MFTE, supporting the ramp-up of this electric truck alongside the production of its diesel counterpart, the Canter. Electrification is one of the main pillars of Mitsubishi Fuso’s growth strategy, particularly in the European region. Preparing employees for the challenges of the emobility transformation is therefore considered an important step towards guaranteeing the plant’s future success.

With this in mind, faculty directors from the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar visited the MFTE production facility to meet with representatives from Production and Human Resources. MFTE is one of the largest exporters and a major provider of career opportunities in the central Santarem region. The two organizations will work to develop the Tramagal plant even further as a competence center for emobility and increase job prospects in the growing field.

The delegation from the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar inspecting an electric eCanter truck

About the eCanter

The eCanter is the Japanese market’s first series-produced, all-electric truck developed by MFTBC as a solution to urban environmental issues such as noise, exhaust gas, and CO2 emissions. As the eCanter is locally emission-free with its electric motor and produces less noise and vibration compared to conventional diesel-powered vehicles, it is particularly suited to inner-city routes as well as operations during late night and early morning hours. After the launch of the first model in 2017, MFTBC released an improved model with enhanced safety equipment in August 2020. Since its launch, the truck has been chosen by customers in Japan, Europe, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. In March 2023, MFTBC opened orders for the fully remodeled eCanter with a significantly expanded number of variants to cater to diverse business needs. The new model is also scheduled to be rolled out in additional overseas markets. 

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 over 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.