Founded in 1934, Isuzu is a Japanese automobile manufacturer currently headquartered in Yokohama, Japan. Best known for its line of pickups and SUVs, Isuzu also produces several types of military vehicles. Named for the Isuzu River near Mie Prefecture in Japan, the name roughly translates to “fifty bells” in English.

The first automobile that Isuzu produced (after it had officially changed its name to Isuzu) was the 1961 Bellel. The vehicle, a 4-door sedan with a 72 horsepower engine, was capable of reaching speeds up to 82 mph. Some of the company’s current and past models include the Rodeo, 117 Coupe, Ascender, Amigo Cabrio, Axiom, Hombre Crew Cab, i-Series, Trooper, and MU-7. Isuzu sold 555,000 vehicles worldwide in 2021.

Isuzu has announced that it intends to put more capital into building EV vehicles, specifically its truck line. It also wants to include battery and hydrogen fuel-cell tech in its new models and the possibility of an autonomous driving feature. The company has also announced two new commercial EV or BEVs will be released: an LD BEV truck and HDV BEV route bus. The company has already launched its HD LNG semi-truck and has plans to release more.