Toll launches electric trucks in Japan

Toll is introducing the first two electric vehicles to be used in its Japan operations.

The light-duty all-electric Fuso eCanters trucks from Daimler will operate pickup and delivery services in Tokyo.

The trucks are engineered to meet demand for cleaner and quieter urban deliveries, delivering a saving of 16 tons of CO2 per year.

The vehicles have a payload capacity of three tonnes and the electric drivetrain uses six high voltage lithium-ion batteries, each storing 13.8 kilowatt hours at 370 volts.

The eCanter’s top speed is limited to 80 km/h with a driving range of over 100km on a single charge.

Toll operational services president Peter Stokes says the partnership with Daimler and the incentives on offer in Japan made the move to electric vehicles possible.

“We’re investing in renewable energy solutions as part of our smarter green sustainability initiatives to provide industry-leading outcomes for our customers. In such a highly competitive industry, the deployment of electric vehicles in Tokyo will prove a key differentiator for Toll Express Japan,” he says.

“We are always looking at ways to drive efficiency across our operations and deliver add-value to our stakeholders. We’ve long identified electrification as an opportunity for Toll, following successful trials in Australia five years ago. Whilst electric vehicles can easily be integrated into our operations and handle freight effectively with positive feedback from our drivers, the main hurdle to date has been the economic case for them.

“The Fuso eCanters mark a significant milestone for us with the alignment of price, performance and the energy density of batteries in supporting adoption of this technology in Japan. We hope other markets will follow suit and we remain actively engaged with our partners towards incorporating electric vehicles into our fleet,” Stokes says.