The Future is Here!

News

8 Apr

Those of you who love the rumble of a diesel engine, the smell of the fumes and the black smoke belching from the stacks won’t be happy. As Bob Dylan wrote, The Times, They are a Changing.

Whilst it will be some time before your Big Banger will run on something other than diesel - and that’s not as far away as you might imagine – Fuso have been busy since 2019, putting test miles on an eCanter around the ‘burbs.

‘e’ is for Electric. I was invited to take the eCanter for a spin back in 2019 and was frankly blown away by its performance. Full torque from a standing start is an experience to be – well, experienced. That model was tested not only by Daimler, who own the brand, but also by select businesses such as Australia Post.

Now with the next generation eCanter to hand, Fuso has launched the product onto the wider market. The eCanter is the first Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) all-electric truck available in Australia and will be supported by select Fuso eMobility dealers.

Developed with the global engineering might of Daimler, the eCanter became the world’s first small series electric production truck in 2017 and has clocked up over 3,000,000km overseas. With a range of more than 100km when fully loaded, and able to be recharged to 80 per cent capacity in an hour using a 50kW rapid charger (or fully charged in 90 minutes), the truck is the perfect solution for set loops in big cities, where the truck’s zero local emissions and near-silent operation is most appreciated.

**Fuso eCanter, accepted in all great cities.**

Whilst a range of 100km doesn’t sound like much, my past experience with the truck showed me that it will easily do a day’s work around the suburbs. Businesses set up with the rapid charger and a bigger delivery footprint will no doubt organise their logistics so that the driver will deliver in the AM, return to base for lunch – enough time to recharge – and head out in the arvo on a second round.

No, it will not replace long distance haulage – Daimler are busy working on hydrogen and electric or a combination of the two in that sphere. But where big rigs hit town and their cargo is dispersed, the eCanter then makes perfect sense.

**Not the eCanter’s natural habitat, but a great photo**

This model is updated over the test mule I drove, to include all the mod-cons such as Lane Departure Warning and Advanced Pedestrian-sensing Camera Emergency Braking technology, the latter a must-have in the high density environment in which the truck will spend its days. Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start, a reversing camera and driver and passenger airbags are other standard inclusions.

Six liquid-cooled lithium ion batteries mounted in the eCanter frame store 82.8kW/h of electricity (with 66kW/h of usable power) and feed a permanent magnet synchronous motor. Power output is rated at 135kW and 390Nm of torque is delivered the moment the accelerator pedal is pressed, and you certainly know about the torque when you put your foot down.

**Motor sits centre stage surrounded by 6 Lithium ion batteries**

Regeneration via braking is something you quickly get used to. Take your foot off the loud (I should say ‘silent’) pedal and the eCanter pulls up rapidly as its wizardry puts charge back into the batteries. Your brake pads are going to last forever in this truck.

The eCanter will only be available on a lease plan, at this stage believed to be six years. One major benefit of this will be future battery development. As battery technology progresses, Fuso will be able to replace the existing batteries with the latest and greatest. With four of the six batteries placed outboard of the chassis rails (the other two tucked vertically between them), changeover should be a quick and simple process. With the pace of development it would not be surprising to see driving distances increase dramatically over the life of the lease.

Alex Müller, the new Fuso Australia Director brings a wealth of overseas experience to the brand

My recent reunion with the eCanter in its latest guise was on Daimler’s showroom floor, but the company have promised me the driver’s seat in the near future – hopefully for an extended drive. It will be interesting to compare to the original model I drove.

I’ll be looking for volunteers to stand in front of the truck to test the Emergency Braking System. A boy racer at a set of traffic lights would be fun as well.

The eCanter will feature on the Daimler stand at the Brisbane Truck Show to be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 13 to 16.