Meritor announced that Hino will be evaluating and testing Meritor’s ePowertrain for its development path to zero emissions vehicles (ZEV).

Meritor has been a long-standing key supplier for Hino Motors Manufacturing North America for dressed axles on its medium-duty truck models. With this new collaboration both companies look to expand advanced, electrified drive systems to further zero-emissions development.

Examples of Meritor’s electrified solutions include its all-electric, fully integrated, ePowertrain for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. It is designed to provide efficiency, performance, weight savings and superior space utilization.

Key advantages of Meritor’s ePowertrain over remote mount systems include:

- Tighter turning radius due to a shorter wheelbase
- Increased room between frame rails for additional battery capacity, which extends the range of the vehicle
- Lighter weight (up to 800 pounds)

"We are pleased to work with Hino to accelerate the early commercial application of electric vehicles, which in turn will help further sustainability in the areas where these electric trucks will operate,” said Chris Villavarayan, CEO and president for Meritor.

“We have a long relationship with Meritor, and we are excited to be working together in evaluating Meritor’s ePowertrain for our development path to ZEV,” said Davey Jung, EVP, Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A., Inc.