Hino Motors
Hino Motors, Ltd., commonly known as simply Hino, is a Japanese manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines headquartered in Hino, Tokyo. The company is a leading producer of medium and heavy-duty diesel trucks in Asia.
Hino Motors is a large constituent of the Nikkei 225 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. It is a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation and one of 16 major companies of the Toyota Group.
History
The company traces its roots back to the founding of Tokyo Gas Industry Company in 1910. In 1910 Chiyoda Gas Co. was established and competed fiercely against incumbent Tokyo Gas Company for gas lighting users. Tokyo Gas Industry was a parts supplier for Chiyoda Gas but it was defeated and merged into Tokyo Gas in 1912. Losing its largest client, Tokyo Gas Industry Co. broadened their product line including electronic parts, and renamed itself as Tokyo Gas and Electric Industry, TG&E and was often abbreviated as Gasuden. It produced its first motor vehicle in 1917, the Model TGE "A-Type" truck. In 1937, TG&E merged its automobile division with that of Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. and Kyodo Kokusan K.K., to form Tokyo Automobile Industry Co., Ltd., with TG&E as a shareholder. Four years later, the company changed its name to Diesel Motor Industry Co., Ltd., which would eventually become Isuzu Motors Limited.The following year, the new entity of Hino Heavy Industry Co., Ltd. spun itself out from Diesel Motor Industry Co., Ltd., and the Hino name was born. During World War II, Hino manufactured Type 1 Ho-Ha half-track and Type 1 Ho-Ki armored personnel carrier for the Imperial Japanese Army. Following the end of World War II, the company had to stop producing large diesel engines for marine applications, and with the signing of the treaty, the company dropped the "Heavy" from its name and formally concentrated on the heavy-duty trailer-trucks, buses and diesel engines markets, as Hino Industry Co., Ltd. The company took its name from the location of its headquarters in Hino cities of Japan within Tokyo prefecture.
To sharpen its marketing focus to customers, in 1948, the company added the name "Diesel" to become Hino Diesel Industry Co., Ltd. In 1950 the heavy-duty TH10 was introduced, equipped with the all-new 7-liter DS10 diesel engine. An eight-tonner, this was considerably larger than existing Japanese trucks which had rarely been built for more than payload.
In 1953, Hino entered the private car market, by manufacturing Renaults under licence, and in 1961 it started building its own Contessa 900 sedan with an 893cc rear-mounted engine, and a pickup truck called the Hino Briska with the Contessa engine slightly enlarged and installed in the front with rear wheel drive. The Italian stylist Giovanni Michelotti redesigned the Contessa line in 1964 with a 1300 cc rear-mounted engine. Fed by two SU type carburettors, this developed 60 hp in the sedan and 70 hp in the coupé version. However, Hino ceased private car production very quickly in 1967 after joining the Toyota group. In 1963, the Hamura factory began operations, and focused entirely on commercial truck and bus manufacture.
Hino Trucks have also been assembled in Portugal and in Canada.
In 2018, Hino and Volkswagen Truck and Bus announced a wide-ranging strategic partnership for activities including procurement, technologies and logistics. In November 2019, they established a procurement joint venture called Hino and Traton Global Procurement, with 51% of it owned by Traton and 49% by Hino.
Canada
Hino has been marketing trucks in Canada since the 1970s. Hino Motors Canada Ltd., is the exclusive distributor of Hino products in Canada, and is part of the Toyota Group of Companies, with head office and Parts Distribution Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. In May 2006, Hino opened a new assembly plant in Woodstock, Ontario, employing at first 45 and with an annual capacity of 2,400 trucks. It began assembly of Class 4 and 5 trucks in 2006 and continued to do so until 2010. Since then, it has been building only Class 6 and 7 trucks.Colombia
is a partnership between the Mitsui group and the Colombia manager for the Hino brand, PRACO-Didacol S.A. The partnership assembles medium and heavy trucks, destined mainly to the export market for the Andinean and Central American countries. The factory was opened on 9 October 2007 in Cota, a municipality near the capital city of Bogotá. From this facility, the FCJ and Hino Dutro trucks are assembled. The Mitsui-Keiretsu is the principal shareholder and owner of this factory. The plant produced the 1000th unit in July 2009. The 20,000th truck was finished on 14 May 2014.Indonesia
is strategic production base for ASEAN region. HMMI is in partnership between the Hino Motors, Ltd and PT. Indomobil Sukses Internasional, Tbk. The partnership assembles medium, heavy duty trucks, mainly or ASEAN market. The factory was opened on April 2003, evolving from PT. Hino Indonesia Manufacturing which was opened on October 1982. The factory is located on Purwakarta, West Java. Its sister company PT. Hino Motors Sales Indonesia is formed April 2003. Currently there are 41 dealerships and more than 100 branches, around the archipelago.Ireland
Hino Trucks have been assembled in The Republic of Ireland since 1968 by J Harris on the Naas/Nangor Roads, Dublin.Israel
Hino Motors signed a 10-year assembly agreement with Kaiser-Illin Industries of Haifa, Israel, in 1963. Assembly of the Contessa 900 started in 1964. Later, Briska 900 and 1300 and the Contessa 1300 sedan were assembled in Haifa as well. During the years 1964–1965, Israel was Hino's second most important market for its Contessas. Israel exports amounted to ~10% of total Contessa production. After it was purchased by Toyota, the contract was terminated and the very last Israeli Contessas rolled off the assembly line in March 1968. In total, over 8,000 Hino Contessa and Briska were assembled in Israel.Mexico
In mid 2008, Hino Motors was said to be building a new truck assembly facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, serving international deliveries. The facility was reportedly built in an 80:20 partnership with Japanese trading firm Mitsui, opening in 2009 and with a production capacity for 1,200 of the Hino 500 series trucks per year.Pakistan
was formed in 1985 by a diverse group of sponsors. These included Hino Motors Limited, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Al-Futtaim Group and PACO. In 1998, Hino Motors, and Toyota Tsusho Corporation obtained majority shareholding in the company after disinvestments by the other two founding sponsors.Hinopak Motors manufactures and markets diesel trucks and buses in Pakistan. Hinopak Motors has gained 70% market share making it the largest manufacturer in medium and heavy-duty truck and bus industry in Pakistan. Hinopak Motors Head Office is located in S.I.T.E Industrial Area, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
Philippines
In 1975, Hino has entered the Philippine market, and creating Pilipinas Hino, Inc. It was originally to manufacture buses, and later trucks. Previously that in the 1970s, Hino had initially shipped vehicles to the country from Japan, before the creation of PHI.In 2015, Pilipinas Hino, Inc. announced name its change to Hino Motors Philippines Corporation.
Russia
In 2017, Hino Motors announced that it was going to open its first factory in Russia. The factory will begin producing trucks in 2019 and will have the capacity to produce 3,000 yearly.Thailand
Thai Hino Industry Co., Ltd. was established in 1964, with an assembly plant in Samrong. A second plant was established in Bang Phli in 1982. In 1999 the sales arm and the manufacturing arm were merged, becoming Hino Motors Ltd. The company was split again in 2003, becoming Hino Motors Manufacturing Ltd. and Hino Motors Sales Ltd. A third plant was opened the following year, at Amatanakorn industrial park in Bang Pakong District.- Hino 300 Innovator light duty trucks for small business
- Hino 500 Dominator medium duty trucks for Agriculture business
- Hino 500 Victor heavy duty trucks for transportation business
- Hino 700 Splendor heavy duty trucks for international transportation business
United States
The plant in Long Beach, California, where Hino's US-based medium duty truck production had begun in 2004, was closed in 2007 and its production was transferred to the West Virginia facility. Production in West Virginia began with Class 4-7 trucks but the Class 4-5 products were dropped after 2010 model year and the plant now focuses on Class 6-7 products.
Opened in 2016, Hino operates a distribution center in Gahanna Ohio.
Trucks and buses
Trucks
- Hino TH-series: a heavy duty bonneted truck, sold from 1950 until discontinued in favor of cab-over trucks in 1968.
- Ford N Series trucks These were badge-engineered Hino Ranger models.
- Profia, sold as Hino 700 for export: heavy duty truck
- Bonneted medium truck : coded Hino 600.
- Dutro: light truck, hybrid vehicle version available, sold as Hino 300.
- Ranger 2 FA, FB, FC: light trucks replaced by Dutro.
- Ranger: also sold as Hino 500, medium to heavy truck
- * The Ranger KL was first introduced in 1969
- * The 2nd generation was launched in 1980
- * The 3rd generation of 1989 is called Rising Ranger and Cruising Ranger.
- * The latest 4th generation came in 2002, Hybrid vehicle version available.
- 155 Class 4: light duty truck
United States
USA only conventional/bonneted trucks Hino 600:- 145 Class 4: medium duty truck
- 165 Class 4: medium duty truck
- 185 Class 5: medium duty truck
- 238 Class 6: medium duty truck
- 258 Class 6: medium duty truck
- 268 Class 6: medium duty truck
- 338 Class 7: heavy duty truck
- 358 Class 7: heavy duty truck
Buses
- Poncho: Non-step light bus
- Liesse & Liesse II: light bus
- * The Liesse II is a rebadged Toyota Coaster.
- Blue Ribbon & Blue Ribbon II: city bus
- * The Blue Ribbon II is a rebadged Isuzu Erga.
- Rainbow & Rainbow II: medium bus
- * The Rainbow II is a rebadged Isuzu Erga Mio.
- Melpha: medium bus
- S'elega: luxury bus
- * The new model is offered as High Decker and Super High Decker.
- Front-engine chassis : light bus
- Front-engine chassis : big bus
- Mid-engine chassis : big bus
- Rear-engine chassis : big bus
- Front-engine Type C school bus chassis : Used in the production of the Starcraft Guardian
Philippines
- RC421
- RF821
- RM2KSS
- RK3HS
- RK1JMT
- RK1JST
- RM2PSS
- RU2PSS
- RK8JMUA
- RK8JSUA
- RN8J
- FB2W
- FB4J
- FC3J
- FC9JL7A
- FF3H
- AK174
- AK176
- FG8JPSB
- FG1JPUB
- FG1JPUZ
- FG8JPUB
- FG8JP7A
- HT223A
- HT225A
Fiji
- AC140 /W06D
- AB115A /W04D
- AK176K /EH700
- AK3HRK /H07D
- AK1JRK /J08C
- AK8JRK /J08E
- BX341 /EH700
- BY320 /EB300/ EM100
- BX321 /EH300
- RJ172A /EH700
- RR172A /EH700
Pakistan
- Roadliner Supreme
- Rapidliner Deluxe
- Senator Pride
- Hino Splendor
- Citibus
- Urban Bus
- CNG Bus
- Citiliner Classic
- All Liner
Cuba
- RC 1971: Urbans, Regulars, Specials
- RV 850P 1977 and 1983
- RU 1987
- NE 1977
- NF 1983
Authorized bus body builders in the Philippines
- Almazora Motors
- Partex Autobody/Pilipinas Hino
- Santarosa Motor Works Inc.
- Del Monte Motor Works, Inc.
Cars
- Hino Renault 4CV, built under license
- Contessa, passenger car built in 1960s
- Toyota FJ Cruiser, SUV built for Toyota, 2006-2016
Affiliates/subsidiaries
- Hino Motors Canada, Ltd.—see Toyota Canada
- Hino Motors Sales U.S.A.
- Hino Motors Manufacturing Colombia
- Harris Hino, Ireland
- Hinopak Motors, Pakistan
- Hino Motors Philippines Corporation
- Samco
- Indomobil
- Hino Motors Manufacturing USA
- Hino Motors Manufacturing Ltd.
- Hino Motors Sales Co., Ltd.
Motorsport
Hino has competed in the Dakar Rally since 1991 with a Ranger FT 4WD truck driven by the Japanese rally driver, Yoshimasa Sugawara. Hino has always finished in the Top 10 in the Camion Category, and 1-2-3 overall in the 1997 event.
Aircraft
The Tokyo Gas & Electrical Industry Co. Ltd. were responsible for the production of several aircraft types in the 1930s as listed below:- Gasuden KR-1 Small Passenger Transport
- Gasuden KR-2 Small Passenger Transport
- Gasuden Model 1 Trainer
- Gasuden Model 2 Trainer
- Gasuden Model 3 Trainer
- Gasuden Koken Long-range Research aircraft
- Gasuden TR-1 Medium Passenger Transport
- Gasuden TR-2 Medium Passenger Transport
Explanatory notes