With the sell-out status of its 2007 hybrid truck generating plenty of market enthusiasm, as well as a Truck of
With the sell-out status of its 2007 hybrid truck generating plenty of market enthusiasm, as well as a Truck of the Show award from the Brisbane Truck Show, Hino says it will be bringing an updated version into Australia during 2008.
While the exact arrival date and specification are still to be confirmed, Hino says the 2008 model will definitely use the 300 Series as the basis for the hybrid.
Due to delays in having the initial model approved for sale in Australia, Hino was forced to bring in 30 Dutro hybrids, despite having replaced the Dutro range with the upgraded 300 Series at the start of the year.
Expectations of even greater performance from the new model are based on the improved driveability and economy from the common rail injected 4.0 litre engine used in the 300 Series, as well as improved ABS brakes and load sensing in the new model.
As with the previous version the new hybrid will use regenerative braking to capture kinetic energy when the truck brakes and convert it into electrical energy, which is stored in batteries, and then used to power an electric motor, to reduce demand on the main diesel engine.
An added advantage with this system is greatly reduced brake wear, with customer testing showing just 1.5mm of pad wear in 50,000 kilometres of local delivery work.
Although Hino is also launching its new 500 Series, to replace the existing Ranger models, during 2008, there is no word if it will also include a hybrid option, with a Hino spokesperson saying the system works best on trucks used in urban work, to make best use of the regenerative braking system.