Hino 300 Series Hybrid vs Diesel 2023 Comparison

Hino’s Hybrid 300 Series has been on the market for around 15 years. It’s not new, and it really hasn’t set the world on fire in terms of sales. But the hybrid is starting to make more and more sense as operators and fleets become aware of not only the Hybrid’s enhanced emissions but also its fuel savings.

Hino, being part of the Toyota group, is no stranger to hybrid vehicles. Toyota has been manufacturing hybrids for decades, and that has flowed through to the Hino trucks and buses.

Under the new guardianship of Vice President – Brand and Franchise Development, Richard Emery, Hino Motor Australia is looking to push the 300 Series Hybrid to new heights. Part of that push is to offer the Hybrid Standard and Wide Cab as part of the Hino’s Built to Go range of work-ready trucks. The first of these is the Hino Hybrid TradeAce that you see here.

We got our hands on the very first Hybrid TradeAce for this comparison test. Its full name is the 300 Series 616 Hybrid TradeAce Wide Cab, and we’re going to stack it up against a regular diesel 300 Series TradeAce over a couple of days and get the results, not only from the trip computers, but from the Hino-Connect telematics systems that were fitted to both vehicles.

Our two trucks were identically specified, came in the same medium wheelbase, and were loaded with one tonne of sand each in the tray.

Both of these trucks feature the same engines, but with some differences. The diesel is the 4.0-litre NO4C-WR engine that puts out 150hp (110kW) and 420Nm of torque. That runs through a six-speed manual or six-speed fully automatic transmission. We had the auto.

The Hybrid has the same 4.0-litre engine but adds a hybrid drive system consisting of an AC synchronous motor that puts out 35KW and gets its power from a 6.5Ah nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. That’s mated to a six-speed automated manual transmission. The Hybrid also gets more torque with its maximum quoted as 470Nm.

The hybrid drive kicks in automatically when needed and helps the diesel along, thus saving fuel. There is nothing needed from the driver and, in fact, after a while you forget it’s even there.

The battery uses regenerative charging which means that when the truck is decelerating, the electric motor runs as a generator and charges the battery, and it also offers a little bit of braking power. It’s certainly not as good at retarding the vehicle as a battery-electric truck like the Fuso eCanter, but it is there.

A notable difference between these two trucks is that the straight diesel has an emissions rating to Euro 5 whereas the Hybrid is rated to Euro 6, meaning it has fewer emissions, but it does take AdBlue. However, if you are looking to get the ‘green’ vote, this is the truck for you.

Hino has made some pretty bold statements about the fuel savings achieved with the hybrid and claims savings in the region of 20 per cent. One of our main aims with this comparison was to either prove or disprove those claims.

Both of these trucks are similarly kitted out when it comes to safety. When Hino launched this version of the 300 Series in 2020 it was touted as being the “safest in its class”, and in fact the 300 Series took out the 2021 Trucksales Safety Award for precisely that reason.

The 300 Series features Hino SmartSafe, a comprehensive safety package with advanced driver-assist technology that Hino says takes an active focus in protecting drivers, passengers and other road users.

Hino SmartSafe includes a Pre-Collision System (PCS) with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian detection, lane departure warning system, vehicle stability control, reverse camera, daytime running lights (a unique feature for Hino in the light-duty truck segment), dual SRS airbags, four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, and electronic brake force distribution (EBD).

The 300 Series Cab has been tested to the UN ECE R-29 cab strength certification and features narrow A-pillars which ensure a nearly uninterrupted forward view.

The interiors of these two trucks differ little. There are different shifters for the transmission but both have a ‘park’ position; a shift pattern that likens them to cars, which is important in this class of truck as many of the drivers will be car-licence drivers and not used to trucks.

Similarly, the trucks offer multi-purpose steering wheels with buttons for things like the cruise control, audio and phone functions.

Both trucks get suspension seats for the driver and a double passenger seat, although the middle seat is only equipped with a lap belt.

Instrumentation is comprehensive with a central screen giving plenty of information to the driver.

The dash layout differs slightly with the Hybrid getting a graphic showing the condition of the battery, and whether the battery is charging or discharging. It’s quite a neat feature and it shows that the electric motor is in use when you’re taking off, climbing a hill, or even between gearchanges.

Both of these trucks are very easy to drive — as you’d expect, given that they are car-licence compatible.

However, there are differences. The straight diesel is quicker off the mark due to its fully automatic transmission. Being an automated manual, the Hybrid’s gearchanges are a bit more sluggish, although it is assisted by the electric motor, but it still doesn’t match the slick full auto.

That said, they can both match the traffic in around-town driving – even with a load on, as we had. On the highway, they can hold 100km/h with no trouble and with both ticking over at a smidge over 2100rpm.

We found that the Hybrid with its tall gearing was very quick to shift up to sixth gear; in fact, on flat ground it’ll get up into top below 60km/h. This, we were told, is a fuel-saving measure, as is the fact that it’ll lug down to 1000rpm, or lower, when climbing.

Up front, the Hino Hybrid is more expensive than the regular diesel, at the time of writing, it was about $16k more.

That said, it’s time to get back to Hino’s claims of fuel savings with the Hybrid as opposed to the straight diesel. Hino is claiming savings of 20 per cent in fuel alone for the Hybrid over the regular Hino 616 diesel – that’s a lot of loot over the life of a light truck.

Toyota also claims that the servicing costs of the Hybrid are less due to the lack of certain components like the alternator and the starter motor. And due to the fact that the Hybrid has regenerative braking, there is less wear and tear on the braking system, including pads and rotors.

Well, we’re here to prove that the Hino figures might even be a bit on the conservative side.

According to our fuel figures, which we took on our real-world comparison test over two days and a combination of stop-start driving in a simulated pick-up-and-drop-off delivery scenario, as well as some highway and freeway driving, we got 29 per cent better fuel economy in the Hybrid than the straight diesel.

That is certainly a compelling argument for the Hybrid.

According to Hino, the vast majority of light-duty truck customers use finance to purchase a truck with either Toyota Finance or their own line of credit. This means that the savings for a Hino 300 Series Hybrid light-duty truck start immediately.

Hino stats say that Hybrid customers can reduce maintenance costs by up to 16 per cent per annum.

Daniel Petrovski, Manager of Product Strategy for Hino Australia, said that based on an estimated 22 per cent reduction in fuel usage and reduced maintenance costs, a Hybrid customer would save approximately $129 per month, which equates to over $7700 over a typical five-year period based on a typical fully maintained lease with Toyota Fleet Management.

“The CO2 savings would be approximately four tonnes per year and 21 tonnes over a five-year period,” he added.

If a customer purchases the truck outright, the reduced maintenance costs and fuel costs offset the price difference and produce a payback within 4.2 years, according to Petrovski.

So the facts are there: the Hino Hybrid will save you money, and you’ll be seen to be doing the right thing by the environment by opting for the Hybrid. However, if the initial cost is too much for the budget to handle, the Hino 300 Series TradeAce diesel is still good light-duty truck that’s easy to drive and packed with safety features.

Engine: Hino N04C-WR
Max. power: 150hp/110kW at 2700rpm
Max. torque: 470Nm at 1200rpm
Engine compliance: Euro 6 (Hybrid), Euro 5 (diesel)
Type: Diesel, turbocharged and intercooled, four-cylinder, OHV
Bore and stroke: 104 x 118mm
Piston displacement: 4.009L
Fuel injection system: Electronic common rail
GVM: 4495kg
Max towing: 3500kg
GCM: 7995kg

Hybrid drive system
Motor type: AC Synchronous motor
Rated voltage: 201V
Max output: 35kW at 1600rpm
Idle stop: Equipped
Battery type: Nickel-Metal Hydride
Battery capacity: 6.5Ah