The ambitions of Volkswagen Truck & Bus to oust Daimler as the world leader in commercial vehicles have taken a critical step closer to realisation – with Hino and VW announcing a strategic partnership.

The remarkable deal, which looks to strengthen the longterm future of both parties, indirectly brings together two global automotive industry arch-rivals – their parent companies, Toyota Motor Corporation and Volkswagen AG.

The deal will complete Volkswagen Truck & Bus' global portfolio of truck makes that it either owns or are part of an alliance of some sort – adding the Japanese make to its Scania and MAN brands in Europe, VW in South America, International/Navistar in the United States and Sinotruk in China.

The deal, the two partners say, will allow them to better face "the unprecedented transformation in logistics and transportation," as it increasingly focuses on electric vehicles and other low-emissions alternatives and on autonomous driving.

The two truckmakers say their proposed co-operation (they have signed an agreement towards forming the partnership) will include diesel, electric and hybrid technology, connectivity and autonomous driving.

Their collaboration, they add, can deliver economies of scale in research and development (R&D) as well as procurement.

As Volkswagen Truck & Bus CEO Andreas Renschler says: "We can join forces and spend R&D money only once, instead of twice or three times,.

"We see potential to save on our budgets and also to combine our resources to be faster at bringing products to market than we would be alone."

The collaboration, he adds, "will allow us to realise powerful synergies in terms of expanding the global footprint of Hino and Volkswagen Truck & Bus – as well as complementing product portfolios, but also concerning common ideas on how to shape the future of transportation together."

Hino Motors president and CEO Yoshio Shimo says that the automotive industry "is facing a massive, once-in-a-century transformation. The rapid expansion of e-commerce and other businesses has created a shortage of drivers. At the same time, we are also seeing an aging of drivers.

"Additionally, in rural areas, as the population continues to age, train and bus lines are being phased out, and an increasing number of people are struggling with basic transportation needs.

"We cannot meet our customers' demands by just providing the same value as we did in the past. Hino Motor and Volkswagen Truck & Bus share this sense of urgency. We're committed to taking a lead in providing solutions for customer needs."

Renschler says that Hino is "an excellent fit in terms of regional footprints and products" – the Japanese make having an "especially strong" presence in Asia.

It's also a good fit in that Hino and Volkswagen share "common ideas on how to shape the future of transportation together.

"The co-operation with Hino Motors will also contribute to our strategy to become global champion in the transportation industry, by providing the highest value to our customers."

And he adds: "Realisation of this collaboration will be pioneering. It will be a co-operation between two strong partners in the global transportation industry – two partners who share a passion for transport solutions that look to the future."