Hino Motors Ltd. Japan

Hino Motors Ltd. a Japanese manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines headquartered in Hino-shi, Tokyo. The company is a leading producer of medium and heavy-duty diesel trucks in Asia.

Hino Motors is a 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.

Established

May 1, 1942

Headquarters

Hino-shi, Tokyo, Japan

Founder

—

Website

www.hino-global.com

History

1910-1950s :

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 fighting for gas lighting users. Chiyoda Gas 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. It produced its first motor vehicle in 1917, the Model THE “A-Type” truck. In 1937, TG&E merged its automobile division with Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. and Kyodo Kokusan K.K., to form Tokyo Automobile Industry Co., Ltd. Four years later, the company changed its name to Diesel Motor Industry Co.Ltd., which would eventually become Isuzu Motors Limited.

In 1942, 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. After end of World War II, the company had to stop producing large diesel engines for marine applications, and concentrated on the heavy-duty trailer-trucks, buses and diesel engines markets, as Hino Industry Co., Ltd.

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.

1950-1990s :

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 carburetors, that developed 60 hp (44 kW) in the sedan and 70 hp (51 kW) 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 manufacturer Hino Trucks have also been assembled in Portugal and in Canada.

In 1964 “HINO RANGER KM”, Japan’s first 3.5-ton medium-duty truck, introduced. First overseas production company was established in Thailand. Small vehicle factory was completed in the Hamura plant for the production of the TOYOTA HILUX in 1968. Hino received the Deming Award in 1971. Followed by operations at Nitta plant in Gunma in 1980 and redesigned “KAZE-NO-RANGER SERIES” medium-duty truck launched. In 1981 redesigned “SUPER DOLPHIN SERIES” heavy-duty truck launched, followed by Super Dolphin in 1985.

Domestic sales of “RANGER series” reached 500,000 units in 1988 and redesigned “SELEGA” touring couch launched in 1990. The world’s first diesel-electric hybrid system “Hybrid Inverter-controlled Motor & Retarder (HIMR)” powered bus announced 1991.The redesigned “SUPER DOLPHIN PROFIA SERIES” heavy-duty truck and redesigned “LIESSE SERIES” light-duty bus launched 1992 and 1995 respectively.

1999 New “DUTRO” light-duty truck introduced, jointly developed with Toyota Motor Corporation. Hino Motors, Ltd. and Hino Motor Sales, Ltd. merged into Hino Motors, Ltd.

2000s :

In May 2006, Hino opened a new 12,300 m2 (132,000 sq ft) assembly plant in Woodstock, Ontario, employing at first 45 (grown since to more than 70) 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.

Hino Motors Manufacturing Colombia (HMMC) is a partnership between the Mitsui group and the Colombia manager for the Hino Brand, PRACO-Didacol S.A..that assembles medium and heavy trucks, destined mainly to the export market for the Andean 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 (300, 500 & 900 series) trucks were assembled.The Mitsui-Keiretsu 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.

Logo & Brand

Arcs connected to the left and right of the central line represent Hino’s desire for a sense of logistic unity, connecting the main line with the terminals. A powerful force generating horizontal expansion along the ‘transportation route’ of this central line symbolizes Hino’s commitment to progress.

The mutually attracting curved sides of the symbol mark symbolize the balance between Hino’s advanced technologies and the environment. Finally, the double-headed arrow shape of the Hino symbol mark embodies the concept of the company’s longstanding credo as a truck and bus manufacturer for “safe passage to and from”.