Shiotsu Autotrade Japan – President’s Blog

Environment friendly Japanese Hybrid Trucks

Rising global temperatures and escalating fuel prices emphasize the need for hybrid trucks.  This type of vehicle would reduce CO2 emissions and also create less noise pollution besides conserving the remaining naturally available reserves of non-renewable energy sources such as oil.

Fortunately, today we see that not only the small cars, but also the bigger vehicles are taking the greener route.  Many auto companies like UD Trucks, Mitsubishi Fuso, and Hino are taking measures to ensure that their cars as well as their trucks are becoming eco-friendly.  This is a good sign, for the world is becoming more aware about environment pollution and is more sensitive today to carbon emissions.  Also, more stringent standards are being introduced in many countries for controlling carbon emissions.

In today’s world, it is vital for auto customers to give due importance to a vehicle’s fuel consumption statistics when they are deciding on buying a truck.  This is because a truck’s fuel efficiency plays a key role in decreasing the greenhouse effect across the world.

Japanese truck manufacturers make prevention of global warming an important theme for all their research and development initiatives to maximize the fuel efficiency levels of the entire vehicle.  Here are three hybrid trucks that are made to be eco-friendly.

1. Hino Dutro Hybrid Truck

A hybrid model from Hino, Toyota’s subsidiary, the Dutro is powered by a 100 KW diesel engine, 288V NiMH batteries, and a 36VKw 350 Nm electric motor.  This hybrid truck consumes around 10 liters of fuel per 100 km, and its four-liter diesel engine can generate 353 Nm of torque.

2. Mitsubishi Fuso Canter eco hybrid light duty truck

This light duty truck seen for quite some time now on Japanese roads is one of the best examples of environment friendly trucks today.  It is claimed to release as much as 41% less nitrogen oxide and reduce fuel consumption by 20%. Built by Mitsubishi Fuso, an arm of the Daimler Chrysler’s Truck Group, the Canter claims to be the cleanest truck on earth.  Just like Volvo’s FE hybrid, this truck too has a diesel engine, an electric motor, and lithium ion batteries.

3. Hybrid Trucks manufactured by UD Trucks

One of the leading truck makers in Japan, UD Trucks has developed an environment-friendly hybrid truck that is equipped with a an electric motor, a diesel engine, and a capacitor – making their initiative the world’s first commercialization of a hybrid vehicle having a capacitor. Read the rest of this entry »

Review of Mitsubishi Canter Trucks

Are you looking for a medium duty truck tough enough for a grueling workload? And, which does not cost much?  Then you should consider the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter, which is flexible enough for many punitive tasks.  You can get all your dirty jobs done from this workhorse.  The Fuso Canter is designed for delivering dependable, rugged service to its operators.

There is nothing interesting, exciting or glamorous about the job of hauling heavy loads from one place to another,  but somebody has to do that job and the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter truck has been developed precisely for that purpose.  It can do all your shifting, towing, carrying, lifting or tipping jobs.

Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Range

The Fuso Canter is available in 3 basic chassis sizes from 3.5 tons to 7.5 tons.  Once you have chosen the chassis size, engine, and wheelbase, you can customize the truck to your own specifications.  You can have a single or double cab accommodation for the driver cabin depending on your requirements.  You can also choose the body type to go at the back – whether you want it as a delivery truck, dump truck, flatbed truck, refrigerated van, box van or some other configuration suiting your needs.  So you have a lot of flexibility in customizing the truck to your own requirements.

Strong Points of Fuso Canter Trucks

The performance and flexibility of the Fuso engines are real strong points of Fuso Canter trucks.  All the Canter engines have ample payload capacities; the 3.5 ton model can handle payloads up to 1.525 tons, and the 7.5 ton model is able to handle a hefty 4.890 tons.  And, the engines are tuned in a way to deliver powerful torque in the low rev range so that it can smartly pick up big loads even when you start your ascent on a steep hill.  The 3 Liter diesel engine can pump out a torque of 295 Nm at 1,800 rpm, whereas the 3.9 liter engine can produce 412 Nm torque at 1,600 rpm.

The Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is a amazingly wide truck with a very spacious cabin that has enough space for three persons to sit.  It is comfortable to drive, and the the driver has a wide all-round view.  The Fuso Canter is a forward-control vehicle; this design gives the canter an excellent turning circle.  Thus the Canter has superb maneuverability. You can easily negotiate traffic amidst tightest corners in congested urban areas – with heavy load to shift.

The Fuso Canter is a functional, robust truck perfectly designed for the objective of moving heavy loads efficiently and quickly.  The available range is very diverse and you should be able to find a truck model with load carrying capacity, dimensions and body type to suit your requirements.  There may be some criticism about the ride comfort of the Canter, but if you’re looking for a mid-range truck with these special capabilities within your budget, Fuso Canter seems to be the best choice.

Japanese mini trucks are very popular in the United States, Canada and other countries for off-road applications.  Recently, however, due to strict regulations passed by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), USA, regarding importing mini trucks from Japan, there is confusion in the minds of many importers of mini trucks from the United States.  In this post, we will try to clarify how the EPA has tightened their regulations and demanding more inspections to be carried out in Japan, to make the vehicles eligible for import into the United States.

The revised EPA regulations do not abolish importation of these products, but they do add the requirement to certify engines before importation.  The most popular vehicles impacted by the new regulations are the Japanese Kei-class mini trucks that have been modified to limit speed to 25 mph.  The revised EPA regulations apply when someone modifies a motor vehicle (or motor-vehicle engine) so that it qualifies as a non-road vehicle (or engine).  Engines that are thus modified must be certified to demonstrate compliance with non-road emission standards per 40 CFR 1048.

In short, since mini-trucks were made for on-road use in Japan, they are now “new” non-road vehicles (regardless of the year of actual manufacture) in the United States, thus they must meet EPA emission standards for new non-road vehicles (have a “Certificate of Conformity” for each year, make and model) regardless of whether or not they have their max. speed restricted to 25 mph.

• A certificate of consistency from EPA
• Testing engines to confirm that emission levels as per the EPA standards
• Fulfilling other requirements as specified in the rules for certified engines.

According to the Japanese law, the Kei Trucks have to abide strict EPA emissions standards, the cost of inspections & licensing increase as the vehicle ages, resulting in early trade in.  Most of the Japanese Kei Trucks we export to the United States are used trucks produced from 1990 – 2003.  The strict Japanese inspections keep the mini truck in superior condition and most importantly make them a very good value for importing to the United States as used off road vehicles.  Though Japanese 4×4 Kei Truck is a 60 mph vehicle, but due to U. S. Import Regulations they are restricted to Off Road Use.

Shiotsu Autotrade ensures that each mini truck being exported to U.S. is in good running condition, fitted with EPA approved governors, serviced by our local mechanics & ultimately the buyer is provided with service paperwork which includes original Japanese export papers & the English translation.  We take proper care that buyers mini truck is picked up and delivered safely.  Apart from this our inventory pages always up to date and filled with accurate pictures & descriptions of each Japanese mini truck we have put up for sale.

According to U.S import regulation, one cannot drive Japanese Mini Trucks on U.S. public roads but it can be used exclusively for off road use.  To comply with U.S. law, all our Japanese mini trucks are properly equipped with speed controllers which prevent mini trucks to go beyond maximum speed limit of 25 mph.

Usually we will load about seven Japanese mini trucks in one container (40ft.) and then ship it its destination.  Our staff members have excellent knowledge on how to load mini trucks properly in a container to keep away from any kind of damage during shipping.  Please note that we accept orders for mini trucks only by containers.  If you  are interested in importing mini trucks please get in touch with us with your requirement.

Technorati Tags: mini trucks, Japan, EPA regulations, mini-trucks, Kei Trucks

Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid Truck is a medium duty commercial vehicle that stands out in the chase for improved fuel economy, rugged reliability and lower emissions.  This unique hybrid electrical truck has been created by the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation, Japan.

This new highly efficient commercial truck – Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid  – has an ultra slim generator, a small yet clean burn diesel engine and advanced lithium batteries coupled with automated mechanical transmission. This medium duty truck manages to achieve thirty percent better fuel economy for delivery application. It also has much less emission compared to its standard diesel only mode.  The parallel hybrid system of this light truck reduces emission and fuel consumption significantly.

In a recent announcement, Mitsubishi Fuso mentioned that they would export twenty five Hybrid Canter Eco light trucks to Australia in March 2010.  This is by far Japan’s largest export shipment of Hybrid trucks to date.  The light duty Canter Eco Hybrid trucks are destined for Start Track Express which is a leading transport company in Australia.

Since the launch of Fuso Canter in July 2006, Mitsubishi has been actively marketing Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid Trucks.  Mitsubishi  has managed to sell 800 units to date in its home market Japan.

This huge order of Hybrid Eco trucks shows that Japans hybrid trucks are finding appreciation amongst customers in International markets who are looking for cost efficient, high quality trucks from Japan which are environment friendly as well.

Last year, Mitsubishi Fuso delivered 10  hybrid trucks to Ireland for its Electricity Supply Board. The ‘Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid Truck’ is getting world wide recognition after already being the top hybrid truck in Japan for the past few years.

If you are looking for a green truck which is powerful too, we highly recommend Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid series of trucks.  We can also procure used Fuso Canter Eco hybrid trucks matching your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Mitsubishi Fuso Truck, Japan, Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid, Fuso Canter, hybrid truck

In these tough times of recession and slow economy, if you are looking for a heavy duty truck for your tough applications which is also cost effective, we suggest you go for the Isuzu’s Giga series trucks.  The Isuzu C/E Series and Isuzu Giga is a line of heavy-duty commercial vehicles from Isuzu.  New generation Isuzu Giga trucks will surely satisfy your needs for a heavy-duty truck.

Isuzu Gigamax series trucks have the highest power rating in the entire Isuzu Giga truck range.  With the launch of Gigamax EXY 510, the Japanese truck maker Isuzu has cracked the 500 hp barrier.  This 26 meter B-double compliant model, with 15 liter six cylinder 512 hp engine, is rated to pull up to 70 tons has more than enough power, torque and specifications to satisfy the most demanding hauling operations.  Isuzu Gigamax can definitely handle abnormal applications with its 70 ton GCM.

Major features of Gigamax EXY 510 are as follows:

• 15,681 cc, 6 cylinder 24 valve SOHC Engine
• Lockble 1,000 liter fuel tanks
• Air suspended cab
• 16 speed Automated/Manual Transmission
• 315/80 R22.5 Steering and driving tyres
• Radio/CD Player
• ABS brakes with EBD and ASR
• Power Windows
• Cruise Control
• SRS Airbag
• Electronic Braking System (EBS) and Voith retarder

We recently tested Isuzu Gigamax EXY510 over a period of 3 days, with a running of around 1,000 km in city, highway and countryside.  We must say that we were fully satisfied with this test drive.

First of all, the truck cab is spacious with plenty of space overhead even for tall drivers.  Air suspended ISRI seats are fantastic with adjustable shock absorbers and many other features to make the driver comfortable.  The layout of the gauges is done very well and one can easily see the gauges through the steering wheel.  Gigamax has plenty of storage space which is laid out very well, with a large overhead shelf and three overhead compartments. We also found the gearbox very smooth doing its job perfectly.

On the road, the Gigamax had a very convincing performance.  It has plenty of power to go make cruising through city traffic and highway running a very light task.  It’s firm and direct steering gives a feeling of confidence and security even under fully loaded conditions.  When we were going at 100 km/hr in the top gear, the engine rpm was just over 1,500 rpm and cruising comfortably.

With the climate control feature, ISRI seats and cabs mounted on air suspension, the ride was very comfortable.  The noise level inside the cab noise was so low that engine was hardly audible.  Isuzu Gigamax engine performed at about 2 km per liter of diesel in our entire journey of 1,000 km.  An experienced driver may achieve a better fuel economy.

Overall, Isuzu Giga trucks are quiet and comfortable workhorses for all your heavy duty applications.  We have many used Giga trucks in our stock, in different configurations such as dump truck, wing body truck, or a refrigerated van.  Please get in touch with us with your specific requirements.

Technorati Tags: Isuzu Giga, Isuzu Giga trucks, heavy-duty truck, Japanese truck, Isuzu Gigamax, Gigamax EXY510

The Mitsubishi Canter is a line of light-duty commercial truck from Mitsubishi Fuso, Japan.  Outstanding robustness, impressive economy, and superb maneuverability  are some of the many key attributes with which makes the Mitsubishi Fuso Canter trucks a winner in the light-duty truck segment.

In Japan, Mitsubishi canter trucks are available in weight ranges from 2 tons to 4.8 tons,  and with up to 7 chassis lengths.  Body Types include Dump trucks,  Tippers, Crane Loaders,  Dropsides ,  Flat Beds,  Concrete Mixesr,  Garbage Collectosr,  Box Vans,  Skip Loaders,  Hydraulic beavertail etc.

Mitsubishi Canter is a tough and reliable truck – thanks to the high production quality achieved through rigorous test programs, extensive final inspection and quality check complying to ISO certification standards.

New Canter models, such as the Canter Eco Hybrid are also available commercially in Japan. The new Mitsubishi Fuso Canter is designed from the driver’s perspective, with improved levels of comfort and spaciousness, whilst retaining the compact dimensions that make it so maneuverable.

Salient points of new version of Mitsubishi Canter Trucks are

• Clean Power : New engine has lower emissions with high rate of fuel economy
• Easy operation:  Automatic transmission option available reduces the fatigue of truck drivers.
• Economy: Low fuel consumption and excellent performance.
• Comfort : Wide, spacious cabins for full relaxation of drivers and passengers, Independent front wheel suspension for a bump-less ride.
• Safety: Power ABS feature to maintain the vehicle stability and control when braking on slippery road surface. Total disc wheel brakes to ensure reliable braking.  EA & SRS airbag system offer effective protection from impacts during collision.

Used Mitsubishi Canter trucks from Japan are in great demand worldwide and are imported to Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Caribbean, Africa and Asia.  We have several used Canter trucks in our stock and we can help you import a suitable new or used Mitsubishi canter truck matching your specifications.

Technorati Tags: Mitsubishi Canter, Mitsubishi Fuso, Japan, light-duty truck, Used Mitsubishi Canter, used Canter trucks

Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks are among the most popular choices when it comes to buying used trucks.  The popularity of Fuso series of commercial trucks lies in their sturdiness,  toughness,  reliability and high technology.  If you are looking for importing used Mitsubishi Fuso trucks,  it is a wise decision to import them from Japan.  We can help you to import the highest quality used Fuso trucks directly from Japan.

Mitsubishi Fuso is a commercial truck that can be used for variety of purposes such as  dump truck, mixer truck, towing truck, crane truck, and crane carrier truck.  Mitsubishi Fuso FH, FK, and FM series comprise the medium duty trucks; and FP, FS and FV series belong to the High end heavy duty trucks.  Roomy cabinets are provided in Fuso models for driver’s comfort.  Fuso trucks are aerodynamically designed and packed with various features such as cruise control, climate control, a fully adjustable air suspension,  CD/Cassette player to make long journeys comfortable for the truck drivers.  Mitsubishi Fuso also offers many safety features such as energy absorbing steering wheel, steel side door impact beams, electronically controlled governor to control engine speed, and to provide better engine performance.

Fuso medium duty truck series consists of over 30 models to choose from.  You can select a model that is just right for your needs.  These can be used for every vocational needs, like dry freight, refrigerated delivery, heavy-duty hauling, municipal roadwork, snow plowing, landscaping and delicate cargo transportation.

Mitsubishi Fuso’s range of truck models are tough, strong, dependable and designed for the truck driver’s comfort.  We have many high-quality used Mitsubishi Fuso trucks in our online truck stock.  All these trucks are inspected, serviced and ready for dispatch.  We can also find a suitable Fuso truck to match your specific requirements.  We have shipped trucks to many countries in  Asia,  Oceanic region,  Africa,  Russia,  Canada and Caribbean.

Technorati Tags: used trucks, importing used Mitsubishi Fuso trucks, Japan, commercial truck, medium duty truck, Africa

The Toyota Hilux Surf is an an Action Utility Vehicle (AUV) manufactured by Toyota and Hino.  Toyota sells this vehicle mainly in Japan; however, large number of used Toyoa Hilux Surf vehicles are imported into the Australia , New Zealand, UK, and Ireland.  Toyota sells the Hilux Surf  outside Japan as as the Toyota 4Runner, mainly in the United States. Toyota’s Hilux pickup truck has gone through six generations since it was first launched in the year 1968, but it still retains the core design.

In this review, we will try to find out why the Toyota Hilux Surf is referred to as ‘The Indestructible Car’ and has gained high reputation for exceptional reliability and sturdiness.  This image of a sturdy vehicle was reinforced when in the BBC’s Top Gear program, they put an old Toyota Hilux to extreme abuse such as being drowned in a sea, headlong crash into a tree, dropping a caravan on the vehicle, hitting it with a wrecking ball, putting the car on fire and finally putting the car on the top of a tall building which was demolished controllably. In spite of these trials by flood, fire, massive caravan, and falling tower blocks, the truck was still running in the damaged condition.  You can see a part of this show in the following video.  So, there is no doubt it is one of the sturdiest, yet compact pickup trucks around.

Toyota Hilux compact truck has a massive fan-base, not only because of its power and dependability, but also because of the comfort and action lifestyle it offers.  It has all the luxurious comforts of a car such as air-conditioning, power windows, power steering, keyless entry, cruise control, ergonomic seating, and spacious cabins.  It has got the toughness you’ve come to expect and the performance you want with all the comforts.

We have a number of used Toyota Hilux Surf models in our stock. We can also find a used Toyota Hilux from the used auto auctions, to match your requirements.

Technorati Tags: Action Utility Vehicle, Japan, Hilux Surf, Toyota Hilux Surf, Toyota Hilux, pickup trucks, compact truck, used Toyota Hilux

Hino Motors, Japan released Hino Scania series of heavy duty semi-tractors in collaboration with Scania of Sweden in 2005.  The new Hino Scania tractors were designed to comply with Japanese as well as European motor laws and regulations.

Review Centre, an independent agency for reviewing cars and trucks gave a 10/10 rating in their Hino Scania Truck Review.  Reported ratings were as follows.

Average Ratings

Value for Money	8/10
Reviewer Rating	10/10
Overall Rating	4.8/10

This Japanese truck from Hino Japan was ranked high by the reviewers for several reasons. The main factors are as follows.

• Low level of fuel consumption leading to Eco-driving
• Safety features such as Electronic Brake System, Electronic Vehicle Stability
• Improved riding comfort to the driver because of ergonomic design of the cabin and controls
• Reduced maintenance costs due to low wear and tear of parts
• Improved driver visibility by additional cabin height and new headlamps
• Improved environmental performance  by compliance with the New Short-term Exhaust Emission laws

It is no wonder that Hino Scania trucks are fast replacing Volvo and Mercedes Benz trucks in Europe.  If you are interested in importing used Hino trucks from Japan, please let us know your requirements and we can find a matching truck from Japanese used truck auctions.

Technorati Tags: Hino Scania, Japanese truck, used Hino trucks, Japanese, used truck auctions

Recently one of our customers from Chile imported few used Japanese Tow trucks. He was very impressed by the way Japanese tow trucks lift cars in the street. Though we are used to such scenes in Japan, many foreigners find it very interesting. So, I am publishing this video of a heavy duty tow truck lifting a broken car from the street.

If you wish to import such used tow trucks from Japan, we will be happy to serve your needs.

Technorati Tags: Chile, used, Japanese, Tow trucks, trucks, cars, Japan