The Dakar Rally is one grueling race that tests both man and machine against rough roads, desert heat, and against the clock. With such harsh conditions, not everyone can finish this rally in one piece. In the case of Hino trucks and its Sugawara team, the truck maker was able to not only complete the race but also finish in 22nd place as well. This event also marked Hino’s 31st consecutive finish since its first entry into the rally back in 1991 as the first Japanese commercial vehicle maker.
Hino was also undaunted by the many restrictions laid on them from the COVID-9 outbreak, the team, and the brand’s first racing hybrid system. While the truck maker faced these challenges it was a perfect opportunity to perfect its hybrid system as the rally proved to be a great testbed thanks to its extreme conditions. The hybrid system took two years to develop and it was a project that was supported by many people. While the team admitted that they weren’t able to meet their project expectations for the race, it still believes that the result will lead to a better future with this kind of technology. With the system already proving its worth, we could soon see it make its way into normal commercial vehicles soon.
With hybridization slowly becoming popular amongst truck makers, we could soon see it being applied to more and more trucks as time goes by. Hino’s hybrid rally truck is just a testament to just how well their system works and how the lessons they learned from the event can be applied to their future lineup of trucks. The truck maker even stated that these kinds of events will be used to deliver value to its customers and societies to realize a “sustainable world that is prosperous and comfortable to live in."
