The National Biodiesel Board is partnering with Hino Trucks to showcase Hino's new line of biodiesel-capable trucks at the Hybrid, Electric, and High Efficiency Truck Users Forum (HTUF) Conference in Baltimore (http://www.htuf2011.org/). The 2012 Hino 195h diesel-electric hybrid cab over truck, on display at the HTUF Expo, will show off its capabilities running on a 20% biodiesel blend (B20) and hybrid electric power during the HTUF Ride-and-Drive event on October 13. The Hino 195h will join a parade of more than 30 high efficiency trucks for an impressive display of technical competence at the 11th annual HTUF Ride-and-Drive at the Westport Parking Lot in Baltimore.
Hino Trucks, a Toyota Group Company, announced its full approval for use of B20 biodiesel blends in its new hybrid-electric truck as well as its complete product line of class 4 and 5 cab over, and class 6 and 7 conventional trucks in July 2011. Hino Trucks is the world's third largest manufacturer of light- and medium-duty trucks, and now the fastest growing truck manufacturer in the U.S. Hino's B20 approval statement joins those of competitors Isuzu Commercial Trucks, Ford Motor Company, International/Navistar, Cummins engines and others. B20 biodiesel blends are now approved by more than 95% of the medium-duty truck market in the U.S., and by more than 60% of the U.S. diesel vehicle and equipment manufacturers as a whole.
All Hino 2011 and 2012 model year cab over and conventional trucks powered exclusively with Hino's proprietary J-Series engines are approved to use B20 blends that contain biodiesel blend stock (B100) compliant to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6751, blended with diesel fuel compliant to ASTM D975. Hino trucks built prior to the 2011 model year are approved to use B5 (5%) biodiesel.
All biodiesel fuels used in Hino trucks must be purchased from a fuel handler licensed under BQ-9000, the biodiesel industry's comprehensive fuel quality management program. The high quality B20 biodiesel blend powering Hino's truck during the HTUF Ride-and-Drive is being supplied by BQ-9000 Certified Marketer Amerigreen and their local distributor Taylor Oil.
Glenn Ellis, Hino's Vice President of Marketing and Dealer Operations, comments, "Hino Trucks is pleased to partner with the National Biodiesel Board here at HTUF and moving forward to help promote the use of approved B20 biodiesel blends in our trucks. By offering the class 4 and 5 market a diesel-electric hybrid cab over that can use up to B20 biodiesel, as showcased in the HTUF Expo and Ride-and-Drive this week, our customers now have an impressive new option for a commercially acceptable alternative fuel truck."
The National Biodiesel Board also welcomed this partnership with Hino Trucks. Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board comments, "We applaud Hino Trucks for its foresight and proactivity in approving the use of B20 biodiesel blends in its new diesel and diesel-electric hybrid trucks. The move toward B20 is a trend that is expected to continue as OEMs like Hino realize the value of biodiesel as a cost-effective, high quality fuel solution to help increase energy security and reduce emissions without sacrificing fuel economy or vehicle performance."
Looking at the big picture, all of the major diesel vehicle and equipment manufacturers in the U.S. approve the use of at least B5 in their equipment, and now more than 60% of them also approve the use of B20 or higher blends.
Biodiesel, America's Advanced Biofuel, is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that is reducing U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum, creating green jobs and improving our environment. Biodiesel reduces life cycle carbon emissions by over 50% compared to petrodiesel, and has been EPA certified as an Advanced Biofuel under the Renewable Fuel Standard-2 (RFS-2). As a low-cost option to help refiners meet RFS-2 requirements for Advanced Biofuels, biodiesel volumes are estimated to jump over 45% from 2009 levels to 800 million gallons this year, and will support more than 31,000 U.S. jobs in 2011. EPA's RFS-2 projections estimate that by 2013, biodiesel volumes will top 1.2 billion gallons. Biodiesel blends are a drop-in replacement for diesel fuel and can be transported on U.S. pipelines as well as delivered using existing retail fueling infrastructure. Biodiesel is also the only renewable alternative to diesel fuel that has an American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) and automaker-approved standard, ASTM D6751.
