Hino releases hybrid truck
Posted by Nathan on May 20, 2007
Road freight makes up a significant portion of Australia’s transport emissions, so it’s little wonder heavy vehicle manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce their fuel consumption. The Hino Hybrid, released this week at the Queensland truck and machinery show, shows that some companies in Australia are getting on with the job.
The Hino Hybrid’s recent marathon test run generated a fuel consumption of just 10.9L/100km over 512km of inner-city driving by virtue of combining its 110kW common-rail diesel engine with a 23kW electric motor and a start-stop system that turns the engine off when idling.
In a press release, Hino claimed that the new hybrid truck represented a 20 per cent saving in fuel consumption and 25 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions over similar-sized trucks. Additionally, the new truck reduces particulate emissions by up to 85 per cent.
The truck is designed to be most effective in urban driving conditions, where frequent idling in traffic and at red lights results in inefficient fuel use.
