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

  • Kramer adds the 8155 loader to its premium lineup
    June 25, 2018
    Kramer’s latest premium all-wheel steer loader, the 8155, has powerful load-sensing hydraulics and a Deutz engine equipped with ecospeedPRO travel drive. With a bucket tipping load of 5,600kg, a stack payload of 3,900kg and an operating weight of 9,150kg, the 8155 model opens up a new size class in the Kramer wheeled loader product portfolio. As with all all-wheel, crab and front-axle steering are available as standard. “When we look at the wheeled loader market, we see that the performance class of the 1
  • Developments in excavators and loaders
    February 14, 2012
    In the earthmoving sector, much development is being seen in excavators and wheeled loaders used for digging and loading, Mike Woof reports
  • Doosan’s versatile wheeled excavator
    January 30, 2017
    Liebherr is offering two new versatile excavators from its compact series. These are the A 910 Compact Litronic wheeled excavator and the R 914 Compact Litronic crawler excavator. Both machines are designed for use in construction sites where working space is limited, such as on highway jobs or in urban areas. Productivity and versatility are key features of both, with a short tail swing design allowing operation close to buildings, highway barriers or earth banks. The A 910 Compact complies with em
  • Keestrack’s new hybrid mobile crusher
    April 30, 2018
    The new Keestrack B3e jaw crusher is said to be highly versatile and easy to transport between sites. This diesel electric B3e jaw crusher is a hybrid variant of a proven model from the firm aimed at recycling. The new model retains the advantages of the original track-mounted design but is also said to offer lower running and maintenance costs. The machine is designed to operate either separately or as part of a crushing and screening chain. The firm claims that the design is compact for its output and p