ONTARIO, CA – Ever-tightening truck emission rules are posing greater engine design and development challenges for OEMs today and in the future, according to chief engineer and vp Hisanobu Fujita of Hino Motors Ltd., the parent company of Hino Motor Sales USA.
The architect of Hino’s new Class 4-7 conventional straight truck, Fujita added that by extension fuel consumption has also become a major challenge for truck OEMs, as emission controls tend to decrease the fuel economy of diesel engines.
“Every two to three years now we are having new emissions rules,” he told Fleet Owner through an interpreter. “And as emission rules keep changing, it makes design issue so much more difficult, especially in terms of increased fuel consumption. Not only must we meet the new rules but we must also not lose on quality.”
He added that OEMs must also keeping working on ways to minimize fuel consumption, such as by improving truck can aerodynamics.
Fujita, who has worked at Hino for 38 years, added even with the rapid change in emission rules, other design factors haven’t faded, such as improving driver comfort.
“Trucks must be easier to drive and work in,” he said. “That means we still must focus on increasing truck cab space, providing better power steering, and other features. We still have to keep the truck quality very high in spite of changes caused by emission rules.”
