Hino’s 195H cabover hybrid

MISSISSAUGA, ON — Hino’s much missed cabover returned to these shores last year, a new truck designed from the ground up for North America. The class-5 model 195 trucks were also to be available in a diesel/electric hybrid version, a first for Hino on this continent. Designated the 195h, it’s here now.

Hino Canada’s Eric Smith tells us there are now five of the hybrid models in the country, four of them in customer hands, one at head office for demo use. Purolator and Nippon Express have each bought one and have them in service now.

Production vehicles will reach western Canada in August, the rest of the country in September, Smith says. Training programs are in progress for both salespeople and technicians at the dealerships that will carry the hybrid line. Not all Hino dealers will qualify to handle the hybrid.

The 195 and 195h models are good for 19,500 lb GVW. They’re powered by Hino’s 5-litre J05E Series diesel engine, rated at 210 hp and 440 lb ft of torque, hitched to Aisin’s A465 6-speed automatic transmission. In addition to the diesel/electric hybrid option, the 195 model meets EPA 2010 emission regulations by way of SCR.

The hybrid version’s power module and all related equipment are designed and manufactured in-house, with 60 percent of the componentry coming from parent company Toyota’s hybrid parts cupboard. It provides 258 lb ft of start-up torque. The system automatically shuts the diesel down when the truck stops, even briefly at traffic lights, for example.

The 195H is available in three wheelbase options: 137.8, 149.6, and 173.2 in. (3500, 3800, and 4400 mm).

Hino is no stranger to hybrids, having developed the world’s first hybrid bus in 1991, the company says. It’s been evolving its hybrid technology ever since and claims to have manufactured the highest number of hybrid trucks around the world. The new truck is in fact the company’s sixth generation of hybrid technology.

Hino suggests a remarkable payback period of under five years for the hybrid model in typical P&D applications.

The 195 cabover models feature a new wide cab with a North American-standard 33-in. frame-rail width, a 56,900-psi frame, and a standard center-mounted rear fuel tank. The cab’s aerodynamic performance is claimed to be 29 percent better than the competition. Inside, the new cab has room for drivers up to 6 ft. 6 in. tall, seating for three, and a versatile mobile workspace with a variety of organizational storage options. A crew-cab version will also be available.