TNT set to expand Australia’s largest hybrid truck fleet

8 October 2014 - TNT Australia is set to expand its hybrid truck fleet – already Australia’s largest – with the acquisition of another 24 Hino 300 Series Hybrids in the coming months. These will add to the 30 hybrid trucks already on its fleet and replace regular diesel-powered vehicles – a move that will reduce the company’s carbon footprint further while easing its reliance on fossil fuels.

A internal study showed TNT’s 30 existing hybrid trucks had emitted 112 fewer tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere than comparable diesel-powered trucks over a four-year period. The study compared 29 hybrid-powered trucks with 29 regular diesel-powered trucks that had the same in-service date range between August 2010 and June 2014 and operated from the same depots. The TNT Hino 300 Series Hybrid trucks travelled a combined total of 2.89 million kilometres in the 2010–14 period, emitting 39 fewer grams of CO₂ per kilometre than their diesel equivalents.

TNT’s Hino 300 Series Hybrids are underpinned by a 100kW diesel engine and 36kW electric motor that optimises fuel use and emissions according to driving conditions and driver input. They can even run in electric drive-only EV mode in stop-start traffic, depending on the level of battery charge.