The latest version of the Hino Blue Ribbon City Hybrid bus (which is also used as the base for the hydrogen fuel cell bus in operation at the Aichi Expo) reduces the size and weight of the hybrid unit and transfers the battery and inverter from the usual location under the floor to the roof.

The hybrid uses Hino’s parallel hybrid system, and has achieved compatibility with the New Long-Term Emission Regulations (2005). The engine is a newly-developed in-line 6-cylinder low-emission diesel engine with an electronically controlled high-pressure common rail injection system.

The hybrid system improves fuel consumption by an estimated 10%–20% and reduces CO₂ emissions by 9%–17% over comparable diesel vehicles.

Shell GTL products consist mainly of clean GTL diesel fuel (gasoil) and naphtha. There is flexibility in the Shell process to vary the proportions of these products, depending on the intensity of the Fischer-Tropsch GTL cracking process and other operating conditions.

The GTL process. Shell has proprietary technology for each of the process blocks.

GTL fuel is colorless, odorless and cleaner than conventional petroleum-based diesel fuel. It is virtually free of sulphur and aromatics, and offers a high cetane number.

Shell is involved in a number of GTL trials around the world (including another one with Toyota), including several in the US, Japan, Germany, China and the UK.