Japan's four major truck makers have agreed to have Isuzu Motors Ltd. develop and produce
diesel particulate filters (DPFs) for the three others starting in April to save investment and
procurement costs.

Isuzu and the three other truck makers -- Hino Motors Ltd., Mitsubishi Motors Ltd. and Nissan
Diesel Motor Co. -- face impending emissions regulations in Japan.
The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to require vehicles with diesel engines to have the filters on an experimental basis from fiscal 2001 as a step to cut air pollution.
Isuzu is said to be the only Japanese truck manufacturer capable of mass-producing DPFs. If other local governments take similar action and Isuzu cannot produce enough DPFs, the three others will also start making the filters with technical help from Isuzu.