Hybrid Electric is increasing in popularity among Hino customers across a greater range of applications
Speaking at a business briefing in Darwin, Hino Australia President and CEO Richard Emery was emphatic about the Japanese manufacturer’s direction to emissions reduction through low and zero emission vehicles.
“Diesel powertrains in trucks will remain the pre-eminent solution in the Australian trucking industry beyond 2030,” he said.
“We believe Hybrid Electric will remain the only high volume, lower-emission truck in Australia over the next decade, and Hino is currently the only manufacturer to offer one.
“Battery electric will be a key part of the future fleet in Australia in certain applications, while hydrogen will also be a factor in the next decade, probably in long haul applications to begin with,” he said.
Hino is the only brand in Australia that is working on all these drivetrain solutions, with its parent company, Hino Motors, Ltd. having started trials for a heavy-duty Profia (700 Series) hydrogen truck more than two years ago.
“As our competitors begin to offer diesel options that meet Euro 6 emissions compliance (like our Hybrid Electric does), the gap in monthly lease payments between hybrid and diesel will continue to decrease,” he continued.
Hybrid Electric is increasing in popularity among Hino customers across a greater range of applications with 31% of last year’s Hybrid Electric deliveries received by first-time Hybrid Electric customers.
“Furthermore, interest is increasing in 2025 – at the end of May, we were at 71% of the total Hybrid Electric deliveries in 2024,” said Mr Emery.
Achieving significant fuel and CO2 reductions without compromising operational range or payload continues to be a key motivation for customers who can choose from a range that includes models from car-licenced 4.5 tonne GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) up to light rigid-licenced 8 tonne GVM.
“Our recent fuel efficiency test around the iconic Mt Panorama circuit and surrounding streets of Bathurst replicated the conditions of a local delivery operation – almost 300 kilometres of testing showed fuel savings of up to 24% in Wide Cab variants and 22% in Standard Cab, which reinforces our customers’ expectations,” he continued.
Mr Emery noted the ‘sweet spot’ that currently exists for purchasers of Hybrid Electric trucks:
“The balance between cost, range, payload, maintenance and resale are all critical measures when determining which technology works for any application – increasingly, a Hybrid Electric hits that sweet spot while also reducing emissions,” he said.
Planning for the medium-term future, Hino Australia is currently undertaking customer trials with light-duty Dutro (300 Series) Z-EV (Zero Emission Vehicle) to determine their feasibility in the Australian market.
“This will ensure that when the time comes in Australia for full-scale electric vehicles, Hino will have a product that meets our customers’ needs and specifications,” concluded Mr Emery.