ZF has signed a 16,000 unit per year supply deal with Japanese OEM Hino, a contract that will have an estimated €100m per year value by 2012. The deal marks ZF's first foray into Toyota business and sees ZF transmissions being fitted to both Hino's medium and heavy ranges.
At this year's Tokyo Motor Show - where the deal was announced - MT learned that ZF's AS-Tronic unit will make up the bulk of the business. However, this information - which, at the time MT went to press, was unconfirmed by ZF and Hino - may have implications for buyers of other marques: if the transmission is to come from a European plant, this could impact supply to existing customers and could result in longer lead times for new European trucks.