Foodservice wholesaler Bidfood has taken delivery of an all-electric Fuso eCanter to deliver to customers in central London, as it plans to meet tighter urban emissions restrictions.
The 7.5-tonne vehicle, based at the company’s depot in Battersea, is fitted with a temperature-controlled body built by Gray & Adams and cooled by a Frigoblock eutectic refrigeration system.
Its electric drivetrain includes six 13.8 kWh lithium-ion batteries with a total power output of 82.8 kWh (66 kWh usable), while the permanent-magnet motor delivers 129 kW (180 hp) via a single-gear transmission in the rear axle.
A single charge offers an effective operating range of more than 62 miles, ample for many urban delivery applications, suiting Bidfood’s plans for the truck to cover around 40 miles per day in the capital.
The Berkshire-headquartered company supplies fresh, frozen and ambient food, beers, wines and spirits, catering essentials and equipment to customers in a range of sectors across the UK, and runs a fleet of more than 800 trucks at 7.5-tonnes and above.
The firm took delivery of the eCanter in 2020 but plans to put it to work were curtailed by the onset of Covid-19, subsequent lockdowns, and then ‘fall out’ from the pandemic.
John Stansfield, Bidfood Depot Manager, said: “Like all transport operators working in London we face the reality of emissions-based restrictions. These are only going to get stricter, with similar regimes becoming more widespread throughout the country.
“Given its environmental credentials, the eCanter has the potential to make an important contribution to Bidfood’s overall sustainability strategy.”
