Hino Motors USA is taking its 2008-model trucks, equipped with EPA '07-compliant engines and aftertreatment systems, on a multi-city tour to demonstrate that cutting NOx tailpipe emissions by 50% and PM pollution by 90% doesn't impact vehicle performance or longevity.
“While the emission control components we're going to have on our '08 trucks are new to the U.S., they're not new to Hino,” said George Daniels, sr. national manager for service operations, at a media ride-and-drive event in Philadelphia. “We've been using this technology in Japan since 2005. [where] 30,000 medium-duty trucks on the road have compiled 400-million miles of operation.”
Several modifications have been made to Hino's 5- and 8-liter engines, including a larger EGR cooler and increased diesel injection pressure of 26,000 lb. In addition, the engine's variable nozzle turbo has a new 16-bit electronic processor to help minimize fuel economy losses.
Hino's diesel particulate reduction system includes a DPF to capture PM emissions and a diesel oxidation catalyst to boost the DPF regeneration process; this unit is only eight inches longer than the muffler it replaces.
A digital readout on the dashboard alerts the driver to automatic DPF regeneration activity, and provides a 100-mile warning “window” to pull over if manual regeneration is necessary. If the driver fails to act within that timeframe, the engine goes into “limp mode” and can only be reset by the dealer.
Nick Vermet, Hino's vp-sales and marketing, says the '08 up-charge to cover the added expense of '07 engine and aftertreatment changes will be $3,950. Hino's testing has shown that on average, DPFs need to be removed and cleaned at 200,000 miles. A DPF exchange program will minimize downtime, according to Vermet. www.hino.com.
