TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - Hino Motors Ltd will release its diesel-electric Dutro Hybrid truck in Australia this month, the Nikkei reported, without citing sources.
By taking advantage of brisk demand for environment-friendly vehicles outside Japan, the truck maker aims to triple its overseas truck sales to 150,000 by 2015, the business daily said.
A local shipping firm in Australia has already decided to replace its truck fleet with the Dutro Hybrid, which has a load capacity of 2-4 tons. Hino aims to sell about 100 units in Australia in the first year.
The company also plans to soon release the truck in Thailand, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations, it said.
Hino rolled out the Dutro Hybrid domestically in November 2003, with sales totaling about 1,000 units last year, the report said.
(1 usd = 120.33 yen)
yasuhiko.seki@xfn.com