CaetanoBus, part of Toyota Caetano Portugal and Mitsui & Co, is a bus and chassis manufacturer in Portugal. The company has a consolidated offer in vehicles for cities and airports which is a result of its technical capacity in developing unique, customer-oriented mobility solutions. CaetanoBus is also the manufacturer of COBUS, the world’s market leader in airport bus transportation. CaetanoBus has been focusing on electric mobility since 1980. CaetanoBus and Toyota strengthened their strategic alliance in December 2020, when Toyota Caetano Portugal became a direct shareholder of CaetanoBus, for further expansion of sustainable mobility solutions. Since July 2021, the zero-emission buses from Caetano are co-branded with Toyota.
Salvador Caetano is an international Group, present on three continents and with more than 75 years dedicated to the automotive industry and sector. Its strategy involves reinventing new business models and developing services in line with customers’ needs, without ever forgetting the long history, but also without ever compromising a strong nature of innovation and modernity. Together, we help people move.
The relationship with Toyota goes back a long way. In 1968, businessman Salvador Caetano signed a contract to import and distribute the Toyota brand to Portugal, visiting the Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan. Currently, Toyota Caetano Portugal is a direct shareholder of CaetanoBus. The relationship with Toyota Motor Europe, through this shareholder structure, is also a reality today, especially after the co-branding of Caetano's zero-emission buses, in 2021.
Mitsui’s December 2017 investment in Portuguese electric bus maker Caetano is significant for its size and its scope. Multiple aspects of Caetano’s business model appealed to Mitsui. Firstly, while private vehicles are sometimes used only on weekends, commercial vehicles like buses are used far more intensively, meaning that their economic and environmental merits are immediately clear. Secondly, buses play a central role in green public transport solutions for smart cities. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, Caetano’s management stance is flexible and forward-leaning. One thing Mitsui and Caetano share is a long-standing relationship with Japanese auto giant Toyota.
