Hello everyone.
My name is Katayama from Isuzu Motors Limited. Thank you very much for visiting Isuzu booth today.
We Isuzu have taken our corporate vision, Isuzu always mean the best, and come a long way in supporting transportation not only in Japan but also around the globe.
The business environment surrounding us is now experiencing a wave of changes. For us to co-achieve sustainable growth with the society during this transformational period, we must do what only Isuzu can do to generate the public good.
To this end, as part of its Mid-term business plan announced in May 2018, Isuzu formulated five social agenda hoping to resolve through its business activities based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To overcome such challenges and create the public good, we must work with customers and society to bring out new solutions.
We’ve opened Isuzu booth here at the Tokyo Motor Show 2019 with the event theme, “Create with you – for supporting Transportation”. The theme encapsulates our aspiration that by creating solutions through collaborative efforts, we’ll support peoples’ living environment and social productivity, and contribute towards an enriched life and a fairer society.
Here at the Tokyo Motor Show, we are showcasing some of the innovative vehicles we have developed to accomplish our social agenda.
In recent years, particularly in Japan, there is a significant increase in the number of freight deliveries, but because the population is getting old and not replacing all the working people, a shortage of working population in logistic industry has become a serious concern.
Now’s the critical time that we must work closely with customers and find a way to improve the productivity of the logistic industry.
Because the magnitude of the damage and losses caused by accidents involving trucks and buses is relatively high, we have a responsibility for more rigorous safety measures.
Since our mission is to support transportation, we place an utmost importance on logistic optimization, in other words safe transportation of people and goods. Advanced safety technologies are being developed as we speak so as to prevent accidents and minimize the impact of collision.
At this motor show, we are all set to reveal our brand new GIGA which is now being developed to address some of the challenges. It’s equipped with new systems designed with the safety of the driver in mind, such as Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) which uses a millimeter-wave radar to monitor the front and side areas of the vehicle to assist safe turning at intersections and safe lane changes, and pre-crash brake system capable of detecting pedestrians and bicycles.
In addition to enhancing the existing safety systems, GIGA is renewed to achieve more comfortable driving profiles with a newly-designed high roof cabin and new interior layout which extensively increases cabin comfort. All these directly contribute to the improvement of working conditions for drivers.
Also, we’ve tried to depict what a new work style of drivers should look like and displayed a show model FL-IR which combines the systems that support the new work style and a wide array of vehicle technologies.
We’ve tried to illustrate a futuristic transportation loaded with advanced technologies, for example safe and highly-efficient transportation made possible by level 4 autonomous driving and truck platooning, and a seamless transportation enabled by the connected technology. Our intention is to commercialize the technologies displayed on the show model from 2025 on.
Isuzu provides products and services to give less impact on the environment.
We Isuzu have engaged in diesel engine development over many years and supported transportation. We developed not only eco-friendly, clean diesel engines, but also engines powered by natural gas such as CNG and LNG. Moreover, in order to develop commercially-viable EV trucks, we’ve begun market research using ELF EV trucks developed for monitoring.
ELF EV Walk-through Van is displayed for the first time in public. It takes advantage of the EV architecture which allows walk-throughlayout, and provides better working conditions for drivers and optimizes urban delivery efficiency. We continue to have our customers involved in the design process so as to develop a commercial EV that supports next-gen transportation, aiming to launch in early 2020.
In the realm of the connected vehicle technology, starting in 2004 we have offered on-line MIMAMORI system which provides real-time insights across fleet control by connecting the vehicle and operator. In 2015, PREISM was released withcollected big-data from vehicles.Now, a PREISM mobile app is developed for ELF light-duty truck so that it allows drivers to connect to their vehicles from a remote location. To achieve our objectives of maximizing customers’ uptime, we monitor their vehicles which are on the road day and night, look for solutions to minimize downtime or time required for maintenance, and find ways to reduce driver fatigue.
Going forward starting in 2020, we are aiming at commercializing new technologies such as the distribution based on RFID and truck rear body monitoring system.
We also pledge to supply vehicles and services not only in times of peace but also in the event of disaster to ensure access to life’s basics. In parallel, we develop vehicles and services that are best suited to the needs of each country or region and also help to prosper economy.
ELF, Isuzu’s flagship light-duty truck has marked its 60th anniversary this year.
Since first release in the Showa era, ELF has ceaselessly evolved with the changes of customers’ needs and the times all the way to the Heisei era and now into the new Reiwa era.
In this new Reiwa era, we are committed to doing what only Isuzu can do to find solutions for the social agenda need to be solved through the business Isuzu engages in, and we aim to become a company supporting people’s life and social production activities as a CV, LCV and Powertrain excellent company.
This is what we are and what we do. I hope you continue to support us Isuzu Motors.
Thank you very much.
