ZO MOTORS, a manufacturer of fully electric commercial vehicles, will make its local debut as an exhibitor at the Singapore Motorshow from Jan 9 to 12, 2025, publicity materials indicated.
Founded in 2023, the Japanese company is a subsidiary of Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed Zo Future Group.
In September, Zo Motors set up a wholly owned subsidiary, Zo Motors Singapore. Two months later, it listed job opportunities for Singapore-based roles, including sales executives and electric-vehicle (EV) engineers. Applications for these posts have since closed.
The company did not respond to queries from The Business Times on its appointment of an authorised distributor or dealer in Singapore, and the models that it plans to launch here.
Its website lists 10 left-hand drive models, as well as two right-hand drive ones – the ZM6 and ZM8 – which could be road-legal in Singapore.
Both are fully electric, medium-duty trucks that would be classified as heavy-goods vehicles under Land Transport Authority regulations.
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The company has begun sales in Japan, the US and Canada. It said that it aims to expand into South America, South-east Asia and the Middle East.
In North America and Europe, its vehicles are sold under the name “ZM Trucks”.
Made in China
As a newly formed company with no backing from an established automotive group, it has partnered multiple Chinese manufacturers to produce commercial vehicles under the Zo Motors brand.
In January, it signed a strategic agreement with Chinese EV maker Weichai New Energy to collaborate on vehicle manufacturing and product development for global sales outside China.
It signed a similar deal in August with Chinese bus manufacturer Zhongtong Bus to develop and manufacture buses for the North American market.
It has an agreement with another Chinese manufacturer, Foton, for the supply of electric trucks to Japan, with Zo Motors handling sales and aftersales.
In August, it broke ground in Cambodia for an assembly plant for electric trucks – the country’s first. The 10-hectare site, which costs US$20 million, will produce up to 3,000 vehicles a year.
Zo Motors’ executive team was named only in January this year. It includes Joost de Vries, previously from Tesla and Volvo Trucks, as global chief executive officer.
He Dong has been named vice-president of Zo Future Group and president of Zo Motors Asia-Pacific; he has senior management experience with several passenger car and commercial vehicle brands.
Hidetoyo Teranishi is president of Zo Motors Japan. Before this, he was the deputy general manager for the Greater China region of Resorttrust, Japan’s largest membership-based hotel and medical group.
