In a market grappling with the demands of decarbonisation, evolving emissions regulations, and high operational pressures, Hino believes its 300 Series Hybrid electric truck offers the right solution for fleets — right now.
Speaking during a recent business briefing, Hino Australia President and CEO Richard Emery reaffirmed the company’s long-standing commitment to hybrid technology and made it clear that, despite recent commentary in the press, Hino sees hybrid as a critical part of the solution in the transition to low- and zero-emission transport.
“I make no apologies for this. It seems there is some rhetoric out there in the press — and I quote — that the jury is still out on hybrid,” Emery said. “Our position is as follows: diesel powertrains for trucks remain the preeminent solution, and probably this will be the case through to 2030 at least. Hybrid can provide an important step and an interim option over the next decade.”
A Better Fit for Now
Rather than waiting for battery electric vehicle (BEV) infrastructure and technology to catch up with operational needs, Emery said the 300 Series Hybrid already delivers where it matters most — in day-to-day running costs and total cost of ownership.
“We’ve interrogated the operational factors that are applied for any operator when considering a low- or zero-emission vehicle drivetrain option,” he said. “We’ve tested, analysed and taken feedback from our users… the balance between cost, range, payload, maintenance and resale — all critical measures.”
Using a visual “sweet spot” analogy during the briefing, Emery showed how BEVs still sit too far from the ideal combination of attributes for most operators. “If you move further away from the sweet spot, obviously there’s some compromise you have to take,” he said. “We see the compromise on range, resale, cost and a little bit on payload.”
In contrast, hybrid sits much closer. “We lose a little bit on payload. We lose a little bit on range. There’s a little bit of cost. We are much closer to that sweet spot that exists today,” Emery said. “We believe hybrid is much closer to the sweet spot that exists with the existing product, and that’s why we have seen inquiry increase.”
Hybrid vs Diesel: TCO Comparison
Emery shared a live customer quote to illustrate the shrinking cost gap between diesel and hybrid 300 Series trucks.
“The monthly lease is within $127 of a diesel. Maintenance is $83 less for a hybrid and [it has] a strong residual — 32% — which is pretty close to diesel’s 36%,” he said. “The petrol savings certainly outweigh the monthly rental being higher.”
With Euro 6 standards pushing up the price of new diesel trucks, the hybrid’s price premium is narrowing even further. “The cost difference to diesel options continues to close, and it will again do so this year, as alternate diesel options move into Euro 6,” Emery said. “The price gap decreases. Monthly cost, or at least lease, becomes negligible.”
Supply Ready, Demand Growing
Crucially, Hino says it can meet rising demand for hybrid. “We can build as many as we want,” Emery said. “We’re talking over 300 this year… I think we can head towards 400 or 500 over the next couple of years for sure.”
Unlike other parts of the Hino range, which are affected by production pauses due to the Euro 6 transition, the 300 Series Hybrid is Euro 6-certified and in uninterrupted production.
And Hino says the model’s recent success has come from a diverse customer base, not just a handful of bulk orders. “20-plus major, different customers took delivery of hybrid during last year,” Emery said. “Our first rental player has taken some into stock… for customers who are taking it for two weeks, three weeks as a replacement truck or added surge requirement — because the fuel savings make a big difference.”
Fleets such as City of Charles Sturt, Altus Traffic, CMW, Davidson Earthmovers and others are now investing in multiple hybrid units, after initially trialling a few.
“From their perspective, they may have had two or three. They’re now looking at making multiple purchases to supplement their fleet,” Emery noted.
BEV Not Quite Ready for All Applications
While Emery acknowledged that battery electric trucks have a place in the long-term future, he said the cost, range, infrastructure, and residual uncertainty remain too significant for widespread adoption in 2025.
“If anything, the jury is out for the moment on BEV,” he said. “The risk and unknown on resale for the EV truck is a concern for adoption right now. Of course, it will improve.”
He also pointed to public contradictions from BEV-only competitors. “Foton stated that customers want to stop buying diesel — yet they launched a new diesel truck,” Emery said. “Outside of [their] one customer, demand for BEV still seems limited at this point.”
No New Hybrid Generation Just Yet — But No Need Either
When asked whether a next-generation hybrid 300 Series was on the cards, Emery said the current version would remain the core product for several years, given the engineering focus is on Euro 6 readiness for conventional models.
“We’re probably with [this product] for the next two or three years without much physical change, certainly in terms of the hybrid system,” he said. “It goes without saying that in a year’s time, there’ll be a broader conversation about drivetrains when the integration [with Daimler] is done.”
Hino’s Clear Hybrid Commitment
Ultimately, Hino believes hybrid trucks deserve more recognition in the emissions conversation.
“At an industry event last year, a number of BEV advocates lauded in their speeches the volume growth in low- and zero-emission sales. What they failed to acknowledge was that our hybrid performance had, in fact, provided the catalyst and the majority of that volume growth,” Emery said.
Hino sees the 300 Series Hybrid as a real, viable option for operators looking to cut fuel use and reduce emissions without sacrificing uptime or being burdened by infrastructure hurdles.
“When you factor all of this in… we think we’ve hit the sweet spot with hybrid,” Emery concluded. “And we think that sweet spot has at least five years head start on BEV.”
