Skip to main content

Hitachi debuts its hybrid hydraulic excavator ZH210-6 in Europe

The ZH210-6 was presented by the Hitachi official Belgium dealer Luyckx at the recent Matexpo biennial trade fair in the Kortrijk Xpo centre. Kortrijk Xpo, in the West Flanders city of Kortrijk, is one of the country’s largest indoor exposition arenas. Hitachi said that the ZH210-6 has the lowest ever fuel consumption for a Hitachi medium hydraulic excavator. It has an advanced hydraulic system and a new lightweight arm.
November 14, 2017 Read time: 3 mins
Compared with the previous ZH-5 hybrid model, the ZH210-6 uses 12% less fuel
The ZH210-6 was presented by the 233 Hitachi official Belgium dealer Luyckx at the recent Matexpo biennial trade fair in the Kortrijk Xpo centre.


Kortrijk Xpo, in the West Flanders city of Kortrijk, is one of the country’s largest indoor exposition arenas. Hitachi said that the ZH210-6 has the lowest ever fuel consumption for a Hitachi medium hydraulic excavator. It has an advanced hydraulic system and a new lightweight arm.

Compared with the previous ZH-5 hybrid model, it uses 12% less fuel - in both PWR and ECO mode - and compared with the standard ZX210-6, it offers a 20% fuel saving. The new power unit of the ZH210-6 consists of a 73kW diesel engine (smaller than the ZH210-5) and 44kW electric power assist motor to significant reduce fuel consumption.

The diesel engine output alone is sufficient for ordinary operation, and when maximum power is required for heavy workloads, the electric power assist motor can also be used. This makes the new hybrid model more efficient than the ZH210-5 and the standard ZX210-6

The new integrated power unit led to the adoption of a new electrical storage device for the ZH210-6. Instead of the capacitor of the ZH210-5, the new model is equipped with a large-capacity lithium-ion battery developed by Hitachi Automotive Systems. Hitachi said that this has significantly increased continuous output to the electric power assist motor, which means it is able to support the engine power considerably and for a longer period.

During light operation, the electric power assist motor acts as a generator and charges the lithium-ion battery unit, similar to the way it works in a hybrid car.

A further update from the previous model is an enhanced version of the hydraulic TRIAS-HX II system. The hydraulic electric swing has also been improved, with an electric motor torque maximum of 220Nm, compared with 160Nm on the ZH210-5.

Unlike the standard Zaxis-6 hydraulic excavators, the ZH210-6 does not use SCR (selective catalytic reduction) technology, which means fewer additional costs for owners, as AdBlue is not required.

Instead the new model complies with Stage IV standards by incorporating an advanced diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and diesel particulate filter (DPF).

The arm of the ZH210-6 hybrid hydraulic excavator is manufactured from high-tensile steel that is 15% lighter than the standard arm of both the ZH210-5 and ZX210-6.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Engine innovations will cut emissions and increase performance
    October 1, 2014
    A series of innovations in engine technology will cut emissions and deliver fuel savings for customers - Mike Woof writes The start of 2014 saw the commencement of the final phase of the current set of engine emissions requirements for Europe and North America. With the introduction of the first set of Tier 4 Final/ Stage IIV emissions regulations, new generation diesel engines used in construction will deliver cleaner operating performance than ever before. These highly efficient engines have been devel
  • New drive developments for the market
    November 14, 2016
    In recent years developments in engine technology have played a key role with regard to improved machine performance. Diesel engine makers have had to meet a challenging schedule in terms of delivering new low emission engine technology and meet tough regulatory requirements for the US and Europe. Along with the cleaner emissions have come improved fuel economy and increased power density, allowing customers to meet the power needs of their machines with smaller and more economical engines. At the same time
  • Innovative earthmoving machines now coming to market
    October 14, 2015
    Innovation in earthmoving machines will help users reduce running costs while boosting productivity - Mike Woof writes. The earthmoving equipment market is hotly contested and is one in which manufacturers compete hard to introduce machines with working advantages over rival models. This has fuelled strong competition in terms of machine performance and quality over the years, resulting in the development of high-performance equipment that is also reliable and long lasting. This is particularly true of the
  • New excavator from Hitachi
    February 17, 2012
    Hitachi's new wheeled excavator offers the latest engine and advanced hydraulics. The short-tail ZX145W-3 suits applications in confined urban areas as well as on highway projects. The machine has been developed especially for European customers and features an integrated transmission and a reinforced structure.