As Australian fleets embrace battery-electric passenger cars, the commercial vehicle industry faces some distinct hurdles such as upfront cost, range limitations, limited infrastructure and unknown residual values.
With less than 250km of driving range, and a significantly higher upfront cost for the vehicle plus charging infrastructure, battery electric trucks aren’t viable for most fleets.
What if there was a bridging solution, which offered an unlimited range while reducing emissions? The good news is that there is.
Since 2007, Hino has offered its popular 300 Series Hybrid Electric models, which use proven Toyota Group parallel hybrid technology to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 20 per cent.
The hybrid powertrain, which combines a Euro 6 4.0 litre N04C four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with an onboard electric motor positioned between the clutch and six-speed automated manual transmission, produces 110kW of power and 470Nm of torque from just 1200rpm. The best part? It requires no charging.
Australia’s only Hybrid Electric truck range has an extensive model line-up from car-licenced 4.5 tonnes GVM all the way to medium-rigid licenced 8 tonne GVM.
The range has now been expanded to include Built to Go models and can also be customisedto almost any application to meet the unique needs of any business.
A full suite of Hino SmartSafe safety technology is also included, featuring a pre-collision system with autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warningsystem, and more.
To see how the Hino 300 Series Hybrid Electric performs, we conducted back-to-back tests with it and a diesel equivalent around Sydney before crunching the numbers.
The Hino-Connect on-board telematics doesn’t lie, and the results were even better than we expected.
But first, how does it drive?
The test loop took us from Hino’s head office in Caringbah out to the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, via a mix of motorways and heavily congested city roads, to simulate a typical day of delivery duties.
A standout feature on the 300 Series Hybrid Electric is its electric-only acceleration, which silently propels the truck to around 30km/h, before the diesel engine fires into life.
This feature significantly improves fuel efficiency in stop-start traffic as well as enhancing occupant comfort with whisper-quiet take-offs.
Hino Australia’s Department Manager for Product Strategy, Daniel Petrovski, explained that the 300 Series Hybrid Electric also offers a reduction in annual maintenance costs of around 16 percent compared to the equivalent diesel truck.
“In addition to assisting the diesel engine, the electric motor also replaces the starter motorand the alternator, and its regenerative braking preserves brake pads too,” says Daniel.
Another fuel-saving feature is a coast function, which disengages the clutch to allow the truck to roll in neutral, before reengaging instantaneously when power is required.
It’s in a built-up urban environment that the 300 Series Hybrid Electric excels. It offers a wide torque spread, with the electric motor assisting the diesel to offer seamless power and unmatched efficiency.
The regenerative braking and electric-only take-off shine in inner-city scenarios too, allowing the 300 Series Hybrid Electric to outperform an equivalent diesel truck across acceleration, braking and all-round comfort too.
How much will I save?
Across a 150km test loop, the fully-loaded 300 Series Hybrid Electric achieved fuel use of 11.1L/100km, against the diesel truck’s 13.6L/100km – exceeding expectations and confirming Hino’s claimed 20 percent saving.
The test returned a 21.2 percent fuel saving but, given many light-duty trucks travel 300 to 500km per day, the efficiency benefits compound.
To put this into perspective, when factoring in an average of 45,000km of driving each year and an average diesel cost of $2 per litre, the hybrid offers a $2147 fuel bill saving and emits 2877kg less CO2.
The best news is, Hino Financial Services have narrowed the gap between its diesel and Hybrid Electric 300 Series models. Incredibly, the 300 Series Hybrid Electric is just under $150 more, than its diesel counterpart per month, based on a standard 5 Years/250,000km operating lease – a figure most operators will offset with fuel savings alone.
While electric trucks are the solution of tomorrow, the Hino 300 Series Hybrid Electric is the electrified solution for today – without any of the shortcomings.
To read more about Hino Australia, click here
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