TOKYO -- Japanese truck maker Isuzu Motors will launch a new small truck in Japan that requires only a regular driver's license to drive, as Japan battles a severe labor shortage in the logistics industry, the company announced Wednesday.
Isuzu sees the new truck, the Elf Mio, with a 1.9-liter diesel engine, as suitable for a small-lot delivery operators and independent business owners who struggle to recruit drivers.
"We want to sweep away the image that it is difficult to drive a truck," Isuzu President and Chief Operating Officer Shinsuke Minami said at a news conference on Wednesday.
The vehicle weighs less than 3.5 tonnes, making it light enough for anyone with a regular driver's license to operate. Under Japan's driver's license system, which was revised in 2017, drivers must have a different class of license to drive a vehicle with a total weight of 3.5 tonnes or more.
"We reduced the weight of various parts, such as the engine, the transmission and the suspension, without losing durability," said Isuzu Executive Officer Ken Ueda. The Elf Mio can carry loads of up to 1.3 tonnes.
Isuzu launched an Elf Mio's electric powered truck of the same size in January. However, Minami said there is also a demand for a diesel version due to the price difference and the power needed for delivery trucks. The EV version is more than twice as expensive as the diesel model.
According to Isuzu, Elf Mio's diesel model will be the first small diesel truck that regular license holders can drive in Japan. The new truck is equipped with automatic transmission, allowing drivers who only hold automatic transmission licenses to drive it. "People who are not familiar with driving a truck can use it safely," Ueda said.
In addition to dealerships, Isuzu will also sell Elf Mio through its own online site, hoping to reach customers such as farmers, construction companies and retailers.
The company will start selling the new model on July 30, aiming to sell 5,000 of the trucks in the fiscal year ending March 2025. In the Greater Tokyo area, the price will be 3.6 million yen ($23,200), excluding tax.
Minami said cost reduction was the key to creating the new model. "We already knew there was demand for a small truck, but have not been able to launch it," he said. The company minimized its cost by using a diesel engine model that it uses for its pickup trucks in another country.
Japan faces a serious labor shortage in the logistics industry. According to the transport ministry, truck drivers' annual working hours are approximately 20% longer than the average for all industries, despite their income being around 10% lower.
Starting in April, new regulations went into effect restricting truck drivers' working hours. A government committee laid out the 2024 problem estimating cargo delivery capacity would short 14.2% of the capacity needed in the 2024 fiscal year, and 34.1% in 2030 if no action is taken.
"We want to solve [this] social issue, which is the driver's shortage," Minami said. "The Elf Mio will create various ways to drive," as well as a new business field for Isuzu, he said.