First Hitachi hybrid in Europe delivered to France

Cotra Styl take delivery of new ZH210LC-5 excavator from Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV

FRENCH plant-hire firm Cotra Styl have acquired the first Hitachi hybrid excavator in Europe in an official ceremony held at the company’s office in Trappes, to the west of Paris.

Cotra Style first saw the hybrid machine at last year’s Bauma exhibition in Munich and then tested a prototype version for six weeks on native soil. The company’s business strategy focuses on environmental performance and the latest acquisition to its existing fleet of Hitachi machines (an EX165, EX135W, ZX52U-3 and ZX35U-2) reinforces the firm’s commitment to sustainability.

Cotra Styl – part of Groupe Noblet – specialize in the rental of excavators and trucks for earthmoving and decontamination work, as well as the construction of roads and sewers.

‘The Hitachi hybrid excavator is an excellent product and we are delighted to be the first owner in Europe,’ said Laurent Galle, owner of Groupe Noblet. ‘It is the first medium excavator of its size in our relatively compact fleet. This is a truly innovative machine for us as we are environmentally friendly and therefore keen to promote the virtues of hybrid products. For instance, we have reduced the fuel consumption of our existing excavators and trucks by 15% in the past two years.

‘The test with the prototype model went really well on projects that varied from city centre sites to rural locations. Our customers saw the value of this product and we had some good feedback from them. In addition, there were less emissions and noise from the ZH210LC-5 than a conventional machine without compromise on performance.’

Mr Galle continued: ‘We were also able to save costs with lower fuel consumption, although this was not the most important factor in our purchase decision – it was more about showing a concern for the environment. Therefore, we had a strong interest in buying this exciting new excavator to meet demand when it came to the market. There’s a real point of difference for us with this product, which we hope will give us a competitive advantage.’