Daimler Trucks – the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer – has today handed over the world’s first all-electric light-duty (7.5-tonne) truck in series production, the FUSO eCanter, to UK customers.

The three customers to operate the all-new FUSO eCanter in the UK are the delivery firm DPD, the flour milling giant Hovis and the logistics business Wincanton PLC. Especially engineered for urban distribution systems, the eCanter will play an important part of these companies’ environmentally-friendly credentials.

Marc Llistosella, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and Head of Daimler Trucks Asia said:

“After our launches in New York, Tokyo and Berlin, we are proud to hand over the all-electric eCanter to visionary customers in London today. As an emission-free and quiet alternative to conventional trucks, the eCanter is the ideal solution for sustainable urban delivery. But we do not stop here. Having access to Daimler’s vast global network, we are committed to cooperate with and support local governments in building an E-ecosystem and necessary infrastructure to facilitate the growth of environmentally-friendly distribution systems. At the same time, we are excited to be able to work with cities such as London as they work to create a greener and more sustainable urban environment in the UK.”

Mike Belk, Managing Director of Mercedes-Benz & FUSO Trucks UK said: “Today is an historic day for London’s transport operators. Fully electric trucks are no longer science fiction – we at Daimler are already manufacturing them and now we’re putting them into operation with well-known customers. We’re pleased to build on our relationships with DPD, Hovis and Wincanton in this way, as they clearly believe the FUSO eCanter is a viable proposition for their urban distribution business.”

Transport Minister Jesse Norman said: “Emissions from heavy goods vehicles represent one of the biggest environmental challenges we face in the transport sector. Daimler’s development of vehicles that can operate with zero emissions in urban areas, reducing pollution and noise, represents an exciting prospect.”

Between them, DPD, Hovis and Wincanton will operate several eCanter trucks in their fleets for deliveries in and around London.

DPD and Hovis will each run two vehicles initially, while Wincanton will operate five.

With years of extensive development and over 90,000 kilometers (about 56,000 miles) of testing in Europe and Japan, the eCanter is the world’s first all-electric light-duty truck in series-production. The eCanter was developed by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp. (MFTBC) and is produced in Tramagal, Portugal for the European and US markets and in Kawasaki, Japan for customers in Asia. Following its global launch in New York in September 2017, the first eCanter vehicles were committed for delivery to companies such as UPS in the US, Yamato and 7-Eleven in Japan, and DHL, DB Schenker, Rhenus and Dachser in Germany.

The eCanter has a GVW of 7.49 tons and a payload of up to 4.5 tons depending on body and use case. Powered by six high-voltage lithium-ion batteries with 420 V and 13.8 kWh each, the electric drivetrain with a permanent-magnet-motor delivers 129 kW via a single-gear transmission in the rear axle. A single charge allows effective operating ranges of over 100km (about 60 miles), which is more than enough for inner-city distribution. With the emission-free eCanter, customers not only contribute in shaping a sustainable urban environment, but are able to reduce their operational costs by up to 1,000 Euro for every 10,000 kilometres (about 6,000 miles) they use the vehicles, compared to conventional diesel trucks.

FUSO has a long history in the development of alternative drivetrains. The Canter Eco-Hybrid has been in production since 2005, offering customers a light-duty truck with a hybrid drivetrain. At the International Motor Show (IAA) 2010 for commercial vehicles in Germany, FUSO presented the Canter E-CELL, a prototype of an electric Canter. This was followed by extensive customer testing in Portugal and Germany between 2014 and 2017.

In 2017, MFTBC launched E-FUSO, a product brand exclusively dedicated to electric trucks and buses. Over the course of the next years, FUSO is committed to incrementally electrifying its entire product portfolio depending on feasibility and technological advancements.