Hino Motors to pursue overseas partnerships for self-driving delivery vehicles

To further development of self-driving vehicles and other advanced technologies, Hino Motors Ltd. will seek partnerships with overseas firms, according to President Yoshio Shimo. The development drive is part of efforts to address the shortage of drivers in parcel delivery services in Japan, Shimo said in an interview Wednesday with the media. The Toyota Motor Corp. truck subsidiary, which has also studied self-driving technology with domestic rival Isuzu Motors Ltd., will seek alliances with European and other automakers to pursue cutting-edge technologies, Shimo, 58, said. "We won't be able to survive by solely learning from Toyota in the changing commercial vehicle industry," he said. "We must search for new partners as a manufacturer specializing in trucks," he said.