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

  • Perkins meets Stage V emissions requirements
    September 11, 2017
    Perkins is introducing a new range of diesels that meet the coming EU Stage V emissions requirements. These have been designed to meet the much tougher emission control requirements. In addition the firm is also introducing a new low cost engine monitoring package. There are 15 basic engine models in the line-up, with a huge range of variants to suit a massive array of different applications and installation requirements.
  • Hitachi ZX135US-5 and ZX210LC-5 excavators work in Sjodalen valley
    July 7, 2016
    Norwegian contractor Skogen has started building a service road for a log-cabin development in Norway’s Sjodalen valley. More than 90 of the 120m2 cabins are being constructed to order and the project is scheduled to be completed within the next 12 months. The Vågå-based company was set up in 1982 by owner Ola Skogen and is firmly focused on general construction activities including groundworks and roads, as well as foundations, drainage and utilities for log cabins. The contractor’s medium excavat
  • Doosan launches 5tonne DX57W-5 stage 3B compliant wheeled excavator
    February 10, 2016
    Doosan Construction Equipment’s new 5 tonne DX57W-5 Stage IV compliant wheeled excavator complies with the latest Stage 3B emission regulations. The DX57W-5 has increased power from the 42.5kW Doosan D24 4-cylinder engine which meets Stage 3B emission regulations without the need for a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) after-treatment technologies. Factory tests show a 15% increase in fuel efficiency, depending
  • Doosan launches 5tonne DX57W-5 stage 3B compliant wheeled excavator
    January 6, 2017
    Doosan Construction Equipment’s new 5 tonne DX57W-5 Stage IV compliant wheeled excavator complies with the latest Stage 3B emission regulations. The DX57W-5 has increased power from the 42.5kW Doosan D24 4-cylinder engine which meets Stage 3B emission regulations without the need for a diesel particulate filter (DPF), through the use of cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) after-treatment technologies. Factory tests show a 15% increase in fuel efficiency, depending