In 1985, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Company of Kawasaki, Japan, opened a wholly owned subsidiary in the United Sates – Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America (MFTA). The corporate office was founded in Logan Township, N.J., where the company resides today.

“My career journey with Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America began in December shortly after the official open, as PDC Supervisor,” said Leonard “Len” Doherty, vice president, Parts Operations for Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America. “We were a 15-person organization, and eager to bring the trusted FUSO truck brand to the United States.”

Fuso quickly launched a series of cabover diesel-powered work trucks into the U.S. market, and expanded its dealership network throughout the years. In 1999, FUSO expanded into Canada opening up a distribution network with a presence in four providences. Today, FUSO has 185 dealerships across North America, having added two new locations in 2019.

In 2017, Fuso became the world’s first OEM to series produce an all-electric truck. This truck launched in New York City at a special event to commemorate the first order from UPS and several NYC-based NGOs. Fuso now has more than 150 all-electric trucks throughout the United States, Japan and various countries in Europe. These trucks are utilized in customer operations daily, and have jointly accumulated one million miles.

In 2018, Fuso launched a third powertrain option for North America, a gasoline-powered cabover truck. One year later, it launched the industry’s first Class 5 gasoline-fueled Class 5 truck. As gasoline-fueled trucks continue to grow in demand in the Class 3 to 5 segments, Fuso is able to offer a dependable and powerful cabover work truck with the General Motors powertrain and Allison commercial-grade transmission combination. The Fuso FE GAS series offers more power and greater payload capabilities for medium-duty truck owners.

“Many of our employees today are part of the original team who opened the doors at MFTA and we celebrate with them, our dealerships and our customers the memories of the past 35 years,” said Justin Palmer, president and CEO for Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America. “With our leadership in electric trucks and development of other technologies with our parent Daimler Trucks, we are positioned for even greater success moving forward,” he added.