Daimler Trucks has delivered the first of its all-electric FUSO eCanter to European customers. The renowned global logistics companies DHL, DB Schenker, Rhenus and Dachser will now use the all-electric light-duty truck in series production in their fleet.

These FUSO eCanter will play an important part in each companies’ sustainable fleet management, especially in urban delivery transport and various other logistics tasks. With the release of the product brand E-FUSO in October this year, Daimler and FUSO have already strengthened its commitment to alternative drivetrains. Over the next few years, all truck and bus models will offer one additional electric variant.

 

 

Marc Llistosella, Head of Daimler Trucks Asia, explains: “With the FUSO eCanter we are delivering the first all-electric truck in series production to our customers in Europe today.”

“Over 90,000 kilometers of testing in everyday operating conditions secure that we handover a reliable and economical vehicle to our customers. With the FUSO eCanter our customers now operate not only quietly and without locally emitted CO₂, they also save money on operating costs. This is the future of urban distribution transport.“

 

 

The customers include these very well known logistics operators :-

Deutsche Post DHL will use its six vehicles in two important business divisions: Two vehicles will perform inner city delivery runs of business and private customers of DHL Freight’s Berlin branch, for heavy individual cargo, such as electrical or large household appliances. DHL Paket will use four vehicles for the delivery of goods to businesses and corporate clients. For this, the electric trucks will be fully integrated in existing business processes and will replace the vehicles with conventional drivetrains which were used so far.

DB Schenker chose the FUSO eCanter consciously. The new vehicles give DB Schenker an opportunity to test a series production electric vehicle for inner city logistics under real-life production conditions. Among other tasks, one of the three trucks will deliver and collect general cargo in the inner city of Berlin.

Rhenus Group, a globally operating provider of logisitcs, will use the three FUSO eCanter within its home delivery unit. From the central warehouse in Hoppegarten, the all-electric trucks will deliver furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and heavy sport equipment to the inner city of Berlin.

Two more FUSO eCanter will be driving for the transport company Dachser. Their job will be the general goods transportation core business on the last mile, meaning pallets with industrial goods either at micro-hubs or goods that are delivered directly to the customer, as well as collecting goods and delivering them to the Dachser-branches. At these branches, the eCanters will recharge overnight using a high-voltage loading station.

 

 

Depending on body and field of application the eCanter has a load-bearing capacity of up to 4.5 tons. The vehicle‘s electric power train contains six high-voltage lithium-ion batteries with each 420 V and 13.8 kWh. Instead of a diesel engine, an electric drivetrain with a strong permanent-magnet-engine delivers 129 kW (175 hp) via a single-gear transmission in the rear axle. 420 newton meter of continuous output allow the 7.49-tons truck to accelerate almost like a passenger car and are available from the first second of driving.

The maximum speed of the eCanter – like with any other vehicle of its weight class – is limited to 80 kilometers per hour. The batteries with a total weight of approximately 600 kilograms allow a range of over 100 kilometers and so surpass in many cases the daily distance to cover in light distribution transport.

The all-electric light-duty truck is MFTBC’s answer to the public’s need for a zero-emission, zero-noise truck for continuously increasing inner city distribution. The eCanter is not only an eco-friendly vehicle, it is also cost-efficient and economical for customers. In comparison with a conventional diesel truck, it offers savings up to 1,000 Euro per 10,000 kilometers on operating costs.

 

 

At the Tokyo Motor Show at the end of October, MFTBC announced it will electrify its entire range of trucks and buses of its FUSO brand in upcoming years. With the new product brand E-FUSO, MFTBC becomes the first OEM with its own electric brand for trucks and buses.

In the following years all FUSO truck and bus models will offer an additional electric variant. The timing for the launch of each model will be defined according to the required technology and feasibility.

 

 

In the electrification of its trucks and buses FUSO benefits strongly from the abundant experiences and technical resources of Daimler, which heavily invests in electric mobility. Daimler is consistently using synergies between its passenger cars and commercial vehicle divisions. The Deutsche Accumotive – also a Daimler subsidiary – provides the batteries for E-FUSO trucks.

Mercedes-Benz Energy – a specialist for stationary energy storage systems – is developing opportunities for a second lifecycle of the batteries. Daimler also holds stakes in ChargePoint, the world’s largest provider of charging stations and infrastructure, as well as in StoreDot – an Israeli start-up developing a new fast-charging battery technology.

Credit: Daimler AG