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By
EWAN KENNEDY
11 August 2008
Truck specialist Hino is part of the Toyota group of companies, so
has benefitted from the intense research that has gone into
hybrids over the last decade or so. Though, interestingly, Hino
has experience with hybrids dating back to the early 1970s when it
tried some interesting new ideas in this engineering field.
We
have just had an extensive test drive in the new Hino 714 hybrid.
A drive that included something like 180 sets of traffic lights
(that’s right 180!) on a deliberately harsh route through the
suburbs and near-city areas of Sydney. The sort of driving that
might be undertaken by a medium-duty delivery vehicle on any
working day.
Hybrids’
greatest advantages show up in stop-start driving, because the
engine stops itself when the vehicle is stationary, thus
minimising fuel use and tailpipe emissions.
In
its just upgraded format, the Hino 714 hybrid has a motor that can
provide 57 per cent more power (36 kW) and 44 per cent extra
torque (350 Nm) than the Hino 716 it supersedes. At the same time
the weight of the new-design motor has been trimmed by 30 per
cent, to 41 kg. Part of the reduction in mass has been due to the
use of an aluminium casing in place of a steel one, but there's
plenty of clever engineering in there as well.
On
the road the Hino hybrid is significantly less refined than the
passenger car hybrids from Toyota, Honda and Lexus that we have
tested in recent times. Rather than the diesel engine
automatically switching itself off when the truck’s stationary,
as do the cars, the Hino requires driver input in that it has to
be placed in neutral and the driver’s foot must be on the brake.
The Hino doesn’t move off as an electric vehicle, but rather has
to restart the diesel to do so. Which could lead to a temptation
to keep the vehicle in gear and the diesel running.
Restarting
is very easy because the hybrid electric motor acts as a huge
starter motor. Owner-drivers will doubtless adapt quickly to the
techniques, but car drivers who have hired a Hino hybrid may need
some educating on how to get maximum benefit from the setup.
On
the upside, there's a big burst of torque when you do move the
Hino off from traffic lights, torque that lets you get up to the
speed of the traffic promptly. And all that torque lets the Hino
714 stay in a higher gear than the non-hybrid variants. Which is
another important way of trimming fuel use, as well as making life
easier for the driver.
Though
most of our driving was done in the aforementioned tough city
route, we briefly sampled some near country roads as well. On the
open road there are fewer benefits from using a hybrid powertrain
than there are in city driving. Though the ability to store up
free energy provided by gravity when going downhill, and get the
energy back again when climbing the other side is certainly handy.
Particularly when the added torque from the electric motor
provides extra hill climbing grunt.
Extended
testing done by Hino in Australia shows that fuel savings of 20 to
30 per cent are within reach if the driver takes full advantage of
the system. Additionally, there are significant savings on brake
pads as much of the vehicle’s retardation is done by the energy
storage system, not by the brakes. And gearbox wear should be
reduced due to fewer changes being required.
Hino
714 hybrid is priced at $63,240 whether it’s sold with 4.5-tonne
or 6.5-tonne payload capability. Hino estimates the additional
cost of the hybrid over the standard model can be recouped in
around four years.
In a
fascinating move, John Conomos AO, who has finally retired from
Toyota Australia after a somewhat protracted farewell, remains
chairman of Hino in this country. Conomos has been a strong
advocate of hybrids for many years and was instrumental in gaining
Australian government support for the Toyota Camry hybrid to be
built in Australia, at the company’s Altona plant. He freely
admits that one reason he is now spending extra time at Hino is to
stay involved with hybrid drivetrains.
Unlike
some others, Conomos doesn’t see hybrids as being an interim
measure, arguing that no matter what sort of internal combustion
engine is used in vehicle years, even decades, down the track, it
can still benefit from being coupled with a hybrid drivetrain.
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Marque Publishing Company
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