Hino, the leading Japanese truck and bus manufacturer, used the recent 43rd Tokyo Motor Show to promote its global expansion strategy as well as its new technologies, especially those pertaining to alternative power sources and developing environmentally friendly vehicles

Hino, the leading Japanese truck and bus manufacturer, used the recent 43^rd Tokyo Motor Show to promote its global expansion strategy as well as its new technologies, especially those pertaining to alternative power sources and developing environmentally friendly vehicles

The slogan for the display was “Transporting your tomorrow worldwide,” which communicated both messages.

One huge dump truck got over the message of how Hino in Japan was now developing special vehicles for use in overseas markets. This extra heavy duty 700-Series tipper is of unprecedented size in Japan with a GVM of 50 000kg and can carry a payload of 35 tons that would require three heavy duty trucks in its home market. This eight-wheeler is targeted at overseas mining operations where it is required to operate in harsh conditions. It is powered by a 13-litre engine and uses a 16-speed manual gearbox.

Hino has successfully used the Dakar Rally to demonstrate the brand’s reliability and durability in demanding conditions in Africa and South America and on display in Tokyo was the vehicle driven by veteran Yoshimasa Sugawara in the 2011 event. This brand-building strategy continues in January 2014 when two new 500-Series Hino trucks will aim for Hino’s 23^rd consecutive finish in this gruelling endurance event.

In terms of new technologies Hino sees a bright future for electric and hybrid trucks and buses and had several examples on display.

Hino has been at the forefront of commercial vehicle environmental technology since it launched the world’s first commercially available hybrid bus in 1991 and the company continues to be a pace-setter. It uses its clean diesel engine technology and hybrid technology to develop environmentally friendly trucks and buses.

One of the vehicles shown in public for the first time was the Hino Poncho Mini, an electrically-powered community bus with a seating capacity for 11 people and storage capacity for a large volume of luggage.

The Poncho was built off a light-duty commercial vehicle platform with a compact front wheel drive system that can be adapted to both buses and trucks. The batteries are located under the floor but it still has an ultra-low floor layout that makes for easy entry and egress.

Another vehicle making its world premiere was the mid-size Melpha plug-in hybrid bus. The show model was equipped as a mobile health clinic which can also serve as an emergency power source during times of disaster the 100 litre tank can be refuelled to provide continuous electric power for extended periods using a combination of a generator and lithium-ion batteries.

The bus can run on electric power alone in urban areas and for short-distance travel, while the diesel-electric hybrid mode takes over for long distance travel and hill climbing. The batteries can be charged from an external source as well as by the onboard generator.

Another hybrid model on display at the Tokyo Show was the 300-Series truck which is already proving popular in the US and Australia as well as on its home market. It is powered by a combination of a 5.1-litre diesel engine and 36kW electric motor with 1.9kWh nickel-metal hydride batteries. Hino South Africa has no plans to introduce this model to the local market at this stage due to the comparatively high cost.

The sixth vehicle on display on the Hino stand was the latest S’elega large touring coach with a host of the latest safety technology, including a pre-crash safety system which uses the brakes automatically to mitigate collision damage.

Additional safety equipment  on this 46-seater bus includes a driver support system to prevent rear-end collisions, a lane departure warning system and a driver monitor which detects the direction the driver’s eyes are facing as well as the opening and closing of the eyes and alerts the driver when his or her attention strays from the road.

There were also technical exhibits that showcased examples of Hino’s advanced safety technology and concepts of scenes in which next generation environmentally friendly vehicles are employed, be they pure electric vehicles, diesel-electric hybrids or fuel cell vehicles.