J-Bus

J-Bus is a Japanese manufacturer of buses and coaches established in 2002 as a joint venture between Isuzu and Hino. The venture was formed by merging the previous bus and coach operations of both manufacturers and started operations in 2004.

J-Bus Ltd.
Native name
ジェイ・バス株式会社
Jei-basu Kabushiki-gaisha
TypeJoint venture
IndustryAutomotive
Predecessors
  • Hino Auto Body Industries Co., Ltd.
  • Isuzu Bus Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Founded1 October 2002 (2002-10-01)
Headquarters
Komatsu, Ishikawa
,
Japan
Key people
Tetsuro Ishikawa (President)
ProductsBuses, coaches, parts
RevenueDecrease ¥32,489 million (FY2021)
Increase -¥530 million (FY2021)
Increase -¥104 million (FY2021)
Total assetsIncrease ¥23,948 million (FY2021)
Total equityDecrease ¥10,632 million (FY2021)
Owners
Number of employees
1,541 (March 2022)
Websitewww.jbus.co.jp
Footnotes / references
Fiscal Year 2021 (FY2021) is from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.
References:[1][2]

History

In January 2002, Hino and Isuzu said they had agreed to merge their bus/coach development and manufactuting operations.[3] These were the subsidiaries Hino Auto Body Industries Co., Ltd. (a plant in Komatsu, Ishikawa) from Hino and Isuzu Bus Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Utsunomiya) from Isuzu.[4] In October 2002, the J-Bus joint venture was established, and the companies started the business integration process.[3] The integration was completed in 2004.[4]

In 2017, J-Bus announced the first articulated bus developed in Japan.[5] Isuzu engineers were in charge of the body and chassis and Hino's of the engine and hybrid system. The bus was introduced by 2020.[6] By 2018, J-Bus' Komatsu plant started to assemble the fuel cell bus Toyota Sora for Toyota.[7] In February 2022, Hino and Isuzu said they planned to start assembling large electric transit buses at J-Bus by 2024.[8]

Facilities
Utsunomiya facilities

J-Bus has two assembly plants: Komatsu and Utsunomiya.

The Komatsu plant mostly produces coaches and houses the venture headquarters. It has administrative, engineering, design, and production facilities.  The plant complex buildings cover 72,379 m2. The Utsunomiya plant produces transit buses and covers 49,879 m2.[9]

Products

As of June 2023, J-Bus assembles various coach and transit bus models.[10][11]

Komatsu plant

Hino Selega/Isuzu Gala (high deck coach, short and long version)

Hino Melpha/Isuzu Gala Mio (short range coach)

Hino Poncho (small bus)

Toyota Sora (fuel cell transit bus)

Utsunomiya plant

Isuzu Erga/Hino Blue Ribbon (large size, internal combustion engined and hybrid transit bus)

Isuzu Erga Duo/Hino Blue Ribbon (large size, hybrid articulated bus)

Isuzu Erga Mio/Hino Rainbow (medium size transit bus)

References
  1. "ジェイ・バス株式会社 第20期決算公告" [J-Bus Corporation. Announcement of financial results for the 20th fiscal year] (in Japanese). J-Bus. Retrieved 9 June 2023 – via Company Activities Total Research Institute.
  2. "会社概要" [Company profile]. J-Bus. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  3. "日野・いすゞ、バス事業統合に向けた準備会社設立" [Hino and Isuzu establish a preparatory company for bus business integration]. Response.jp (in Japanese). 2 October 2002. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  4. Osaka, Akinori (7 July 2019). "バスづくりは今でも手作業ってホント？ 路線バス製造工場を見学してきた" [Is it true that buses are still made by hand? I visited a transit bus plant]. Kurukura (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  5. Yamauchi, Hiroshi (20 February 2017). "初の国産ハイブリッド連節バスを、いすゞと日野が共同開発" [Isuzu and Hino to jointly develop the first domestic hybrid articulated bus]. Clicccar (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  6. Watanabe, Seiji (20 March 2020). "｢国産連節バス｣はダイムラーの牙城を崩せるかいすゞと日野が共同開発､｢シターロG｣に挑む" [Can a domestic articulated bus break Daimler's stronghold? Isuzu and Hino jointly develop a Citaro G rival]. Toyo Keizai (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  7. "トヨタＦＣバス、官庁街で試乗会 静かな走り「内緒話聞こえてしまう」" [Test drive event for the Toyota fuel cell bus by district governments. Quiet driving: "I even can hear secret chats"] (in Japanese). Automotive Business Association of Japan. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  8. "いすゞと日野がEVバス トヨタと水素燃料電池バスも検討" [Isuzu and Hino ponder an EV bus, an hydrogen fuel cell bus with Toyota]. Nikkei (in Japanese). 28 February 2022. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  9. "工場案内" [Plant information] (in Japanese). J-Bus. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  10. "宇都宮生産車ラインナップ" [Utsunomiya production vehicle lineup] (in Japanese). J-Bus. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  11. "小松生産車ラインナップ" [Komatsu production vehicle lineup] (in Japanese). J-Bus. Retrieved 9 June 2023.


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