Hino's Dutro Z EV is an ultra-low floor walk-through electric vehicle and will also be available as a cab chassis
Scheduled to be released in Japan in mid-2022, the Hino Dutro Z EV is Hino Motors Ltd’s first full-scale electric vehicle (EV) and is designed for the ‘last mile deliveries’.
This variation of the Dutro (known in Australia as the 300 Series) is a walk-through van style, battery electric vehicle with an ultra-low floor.
The Dutro Z EV features a compact 50kW electric motor mounted under the cab, which drives the front wheels.
“A Lithium Ion battery is smartly packaged and is mounted under the floor of the cargo area in between the chassis rails, while the electronic control units and other ancillary equipment are located under the cab,” says manager of product strategy for Hino Australia, Daniel Petrovski.
“The walk-through structure of the van and its targeted cruising range of 100+km is particularly suited to the multi-stop delivery characteristics of the last mile delivery challenge.”
In addition to the walk-through van, Hino has also developed a traditional light truck style cab chassis version that customers can mount their application specific body to.
“This is an exciting product and Hino Australia is currently in discussion with Hino Motors, Ltd. regarding a release date for the Dutro Z EV into the Australian market,” says Petrovski.