Bus Industry News, Company News

Hino Australia indefinitely pauses bus sales

BREAKING: The sad news follows Hino’s decision in March to withdraw Poncho bus sales in Australia

In an exclusive letter sent to ABC, well-known brand Hino Australia has announced the difficult decision to pause bus sales for the foreseeable future in Australia.

In the letter sent from Hino Australia brand and franchise development vice president Richard Emery to ABC, Hino confirmed the pause on sales is due to a lack of suitable products being available to the brand currently and in the foreseeable future.

“As we have been selling buses in Australia since 1965, this was a difficult decision,” Emery told ABC.

“However, we will continue to monitor the Australian bus market against future product opportunities from our parent company Hino Motors in Japan.”

Emery says that Hino Australia will continue to provide customers with parts, service and technical support via Hino’s extensive dealership network and through its Product Support division.

Hino Australia’s dedicated network of 60 dealerships and service centres across the country nationally will provide ongoing aftersales support to Hino bus customers.

This follows Hino Australia’s decision in March 2023 to withdraw Poncho Buses from sale in Australia after they were voluntarily suspended from importation and sale in August 2022 due to concerns around Hino Motors Limited’s (HML) processes in relation to vehicle homologation and certification results in Japan.  


RELATED ARTICLE: Hino Australia pauses Poncho sales in Australia


“While we continue to believe that the Poncho Bus meets the relevant regulatory requirements for the vehicle, the decision was made considering the regulatory processes that apply to the recommencement of sales for a small volume of vehicles,” Emery says.

It’s another sad day in Australia’s bus and coach industry history as Hino Australia takes an indefinite pause on bus sales down under.

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