Fuso will introduce the world’s first all-electric light truck in Australia next February.
The eCanter was first introduced in 2017 and is currently operating in the United States, Europe and Japan.
Daimler developed it from the ground-up and it has been extensively tested in harsh environments.
Fuso presented the eCanter at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show and select Australian fleets trialed it.
Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific president and chief executive, Daniel Whitehead, says Australian customers have been enthusiastic about the eCanter.
“The best light truck fleets in Australia have told us that safety and emissions reduction are absolutely critical for them,” Whitehead says.
“We introduced advanced emergency braking to the light truck class in Australia with Canter last year and now we will be first with a fully integrated manufacturer-developed electric truck.”
Whitehead says the eCanter is an integrated original equipment manufacturer product and that is greatly appreciated by key customers.
“It’s quite simple to take a truck, swap out an engine and replace it with third-party motor and batteries if you want an electric truck in a hurry, but the Australian market is more mature than that,” Whitehead says.
He says thorough testing and development is imperative in the transport industry.
“These trucks are performing essential services around the clock in rain, hail and shine, day in, day out, so it is critical customers have confidence that they continue to perform as promised,” Whitehead says.
Like all Canter 4×2 models, the eCanter is equipped with safety features including advanced emergency braking, lane departure warning, electronic stability control, hill start assist, reversing camera and driver and passenger airbags.
