Hino produces a racetruck for the Dakar Rally 2022

Japanese car manufacturer Hino has released a video showing a tuned diesel/electric truck running off-road tests prior to the next year’s Dakar Rally.

Back in 2020, Team Sugiwara piloted a similar truck and finished last in its category, but the company apparently wants a rematch now. Like its predecessor, the truck is a Hino 600 production model encased in a lightweight compound/aluminum body. Despite this, it is still large enough to weigh 8.6 metric tons (18,900 lbs).

An 8.8-liter inline-six diesel engine drives the wheels with 800 PS (789 hp / 588 kW) and 2,295 Nm (1,693 lb-ft) of torque, with an electric motor assisting it for another 280 PS (276 hp / 206 kW). The cumulative output thus exceeds 1,000 horsepower, or 750 kilowatts. Supercapacitors are used in place of conventional batteries for instant acceleration and lower curb weight.

Hino claims that it uses an eight-speed automatic transmission with ‘a sporty character’, a dual-range transfer case, and an inter-axle diff lock. The fuel tank can store up to 800 liters (211.3 U.S. gallons) of fuel.