Like all truck OEMs, Hino has a firm eye on what the future of trucking in Australia is going to look like, and how they are going to respond to it.
While their next steps are built on the requirements of the market, including Euro 6 compliance, they are also taking on the effect of internal challenges until the end of 2026.
The next two years beckon with a focus on the sales of two model ranges – the 700 Series, and the Hybrid Electric.
Due to an issue with Euro 6 emissions compliance in 2022 in Japan, a flow-on effect has meant that Hino hasn’t been able to begin Euro 6 production for vehicles coming to Australia as quickly as anticipated.
While current orders of the 500 Series will be delivered to Australian customers over 2025, it will be essentially ‘sold out’, and not taking new orders until as far away as late 2026.
This will see Hino focus on their current Euro 6 offerings, as Hino Australia President and CEO Richard Emery explained at a media briefing in October.
“We have two products that are already Euro 6 compliant, so we will have a big focus on these two products over the next two years because they are ongoing,” he says.
“We’ve got an order bank on the 500 Series that we will be able to supply. We will then see a gap in supply of 10-plus months before we restock with Euro 6 product in late 2026.
“While it isn’t ideal, we’ve managed to balance this approach in our conversations with dealers and customers. The 300 Series will also have a gap in availability. We’ll sustain deliveries until the first half of early 2026 before it will also see a gap in production.
“It’s not a secret in 2022 we had to deal with an emission and certification matter. It was not just Australian product, but it also impacted the domestic market in Japan.
“Through that, we were able to review and revise existing product lines. In doing so, we stopped all production on Euro 6. Though it’s frustrating for us, our executive team and dealers support this. We’ve taken our network through this.
“Although they’re disappointed and frustrated, they’re staying committed to our joint business through 2026. They support our plan until we get into a normal trade environment in 2027. It’s too early to flag what that will mean for our volume in 2026.”
Not having a full product line available for at least 10 months is going to prove a challenge, Richard admits.
However, it offers the chance to grow sales and market share of Hino models that haven’t been a massive focus in the past.
Hino expanded its Hybrid Electric range in 2023, and while part of this new approach is to consolidate the available models, the OEM is aiming for significant growth in sales across both it and the 700 Series.
The 700 Series meanwhile was last updated in 2021, as Hino’s modern heavy-duty range.
“We still think there is a significant growth opportunity for the Hybrid Electric,” Richard says.
“Our ability to free up the supply line for the 700 Series has been a challenge over the past few years. We believe both of those products can get to 1000 units a year over the next few years. In this window, there’s no reason why they can’t reach that goal.”
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