Economy Runner

The Dutro in question is the first diesel-electric hybrid truck to enter service in Australia. It regularly performs package delivery duties alongside similar diesel-powered trucks as both TNT and Hino evaluate its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption. Hino claims that the Hybrid Dutro reduces fuel consumption by 30 percent while cutting NOx emissions by a whopping 66 percent and CO2 emissions by 25 percent.

The truck has traveled 44,000 km to date - and according to Paul Wild, TNT's national park and equipment manager, it hasn't caused a minute of trouble. Wilde says that despite the reduction in fuel consumption, the savings are unlikely to be enough to cover the additional cost of buying a truck. However, he says the benefits it provides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions need to be weighed against the additional costs.

As companies like TNT become more socially oriented and have a greener mindset, Wild says the extra cost is easily justified by the benefits of reduced greenhouse gas and particulate emissions. This is especially useful in urban and suburban areas where this truck operates. The Hybrid Hino is a fourth-generation diesel-electric truck that has been produced in Japan since 2003.

It uses a combination of a conventional turbodiesel engine and an electric motor, which together provide the driving force in the most efficient way, depending on the mode of operation at any time.

The four-litre, four-cylinder, 110kW turbodiesel engine is smaller than the one typically used to power a similarly sized truck; the 243 Nm electric motor compensates for the loss in performance due to the smaller main motor.

The diesel engine powers the truck when it is at its most efficient, i.e. while the truck is moving.

It then consumes less fuel and emits less toxic gases from the tailpipe, but as the truck accelerates and the diesel engine is at its least efficient and most toxic, the electric motor kicks in to provide extra power, reducing the load on the engine. diesel and providing a zip code to keep up with traffic.

When both engines work in tandem, the overall result is a 30% reduction in fuel consumption, while reducing NOx by 66% and CO2 by 25%. To keep the nickel-hydrogen batteries charged, the electric motor becomes a generator when the truck slows down and charges the power pack.

Brake wear is also reduced through the use of regenerative braking, which uses an electric motor to increase braking power. Not only does the service life of the brakes increase, but the release of brake pad dust into the environment is also significantly reduced, which further improves the environmental performance of the hybrid.

TNT drivers tasked with driving the future truck received a warm welcome from the truck's technology. The only aspect they had to get used to was stopping the engine when they were stationary.

This is one of the features of the hybrid, but it makes a huge contribution to fuel economy and emission reduction. Whenever the truck stops, the engine stops rather than idling, but it takes time for drivers to get used to the idea that there is nothing wrong with that, that when they engage the clutch when the green light comes on, the engine starts immediately. and they can walk away normally.

Hino is currently in the process of approving the Hybrid Dutro for sale and expects it to hit the market in September.