Hino USA to produce medium electric trucks with SEA Electric powertrains from 2024
By Luke Willetts - 31st March 2023
The new Hino electric truck range
USA / Japan – In March, Hino Motors Manufacturing USA Inc, the Novi, Michigan-based division of Japanese manufacturer Hino Motors Ltd, announced at the National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck in Indianapolis, Indiana, its move into the American electric truck market. In 2024, Hino said it plans to offer an electric version of its M and L series medium-duty trucks, branded as the M5e and L6e Series by integrating the SEA-Drive power system from SEA Electric Holdings Pty Ltd of Los Angeles, California.
The ‘M5e’ and the ‘L6e’ will be based on Hino USA’s M- and L-Series trucks, which are built at a factory in Mineral Wells, West Virginia. The M5e will have a gross vehicle weight rating of 19,500 lbs (i.e., 8.8 tonnes). This model will be powered by the ‘SEA-Drive 120 Power System’, which includes a motor with 170hp peak power, 1,110-lb-ft max torque, and a battery capacity of 138 kWh.
