Hino Motors, Ltd. (headquarters: Hino City, Tokyo, President: Yoshio Shimo; hereinafter referred to as Hino) plans to launch the HINO Poncho Z EV light-duty electric bus in spring 2022 in the Japan market.
The HINO Poncho light-duty non-step diesel bus launched in 2002 has been widely adopted throughout Japan for community transportation purposes. With today’s growing concern for global environmental issues, there are increasing needs for zero-emissions vehicles, given their close proximity to people’s everyday lives.
The HINO Poncho Z EV that Hino will introduce to the market keeps the features of the HINO Poncho, including universal design that makes it user-friendly for everyone and packaging optimized for a community bus, and realizes cleaner transportation through electrification . This model will contribute to sustainable community transportation going forward with friendliness to people and the environment.
Its large full-flat area and low floor non-step structure enable easier boarding and moving inside the bus, making it a user-friendly option for all kinds of passengers, including users of wheelchairs and baby strollers. The simple and appealingly rounded exterior harmonizes with urban environments, and being an EV means it’s zero-emission and low-noise, making it excellent for communities and supporting the lives of residents.
It is also highly agile for maneuvering through narrow city streets and provides a cruising range sufficient for a community bus, making it a very practical option.
This model will also be included in the lineup of vehicles by CUBE-LINX1, as a vehicle to be used by e-mobility optimized operation management businesses. Hino will provide support for customers’ businesses along with its meticulously detailed, high-quality and full-ranging Total Support made possible by Hino’s nationwide dealer network.
Hino has declared its initiatives to achieve zero environmental impact as part of its Hino Environmental Challenge 20502 issued in 2017. The company is accelerating its efforts, and in April 2021 it established mid-term targets in its Hino Environmental Milestone 20303. To achieve carbon neutrality, it is pursuing all possible measures, not only for its own products but also in a wide range of strategies based on a life cycle assessment of vehicles from production to disposal. The HINO Poncho Z EV, along with the solutions from CUBE-LINX, will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions by promoting the widespread use of electric vehicles.
Hino will continue to pursue a variety of measures from the perspectives of customers and society, including greater use of e-mobility as a useful solution for businesses.
Major Specifications (for reference)
| Dimensions (length × width × height) | 6,990×2,090×3,060 [mm] | |
| Gross vehicle weight | Approx. 8,000 kg | |
| Capacity | Approx. 30 (varies with seat layout) | |
| Battery | Type | Lithium ion battery |
| Capacity | 105 [kWh] | |
| Motor | Max. output | 161 [kW] |
| Charging method | Quick charge (CHAdeMO method) | |
1: CUBE-LINX
A joint venture established in May 2021 by Hino and Kansai Electric Power Company. This company provides solutions to issues in e-mobility adoption and operation. It provides packaged solutions with EVs, charging facilities, IT systems, and operation according to user needs for a monthly fee.
April 22, 2021 release: “Contribution to Realization of Carbon Neutrality in the Transportation Industry Using an Open Platform through Cooperation in the Business of Optimal Operation Management of Commercial e-Mobility, such as Trucks and Buses”
2: April 27, 2021 release: “Hino Environmental Milestone 2030”
3: Hino Environmental Challenge 2050
SOURCE: Hino
