Daimler Trucks has delivered nine all-electric FUSO eCanter 7.5-tonne trucks to its first UK customers; DPD, Wincanton and Hovis.
The vehicles have a range of approximately 60 miles and are designed primarily for short radius deliveries around London – test vehicles have already covered over 50,000 miles on UK roads.
DPD delivers 4.8 million parcels a day globally and operates 2,340 vehicles in the UK. The firm plans to operate two eCanters for an initial period of two years. Wincanton will use five eCanters in its fleet, while Hovis will utilise two of the all-electric vehicle.
The eCanter has a gross vehicle weight of 7.49 tonnes and a load capacity of up to 4.5 tonnes, and is driven by six high-voltage lithium-ion batteries delivering 420V and 13.8kWh. The single permanent-magnet motor produces 180hp to the rear axle via a single-speed transmission. Built for the European market in Portugal, customer examples of the eCanter are already in operation in New York, Tokyo and Berlin following its initial launch in September 2017.
