eCanter going the last mile

This story first appeared in the november issue of evtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Commercial vehicles account for 35% of New Zealand’s transport emissions, which in turn account for around 18% of all our greenhouse gas emissions.

But while passenger car emissions are stable or falling, commercial emissions are rising thanks to strong demand for goods – and the need to get them there.

While it could be argued electrified solutions for long-distance trucking are some way away, options for short distance or “last mile” transport are beginning to arrive, one of the first to produce an option being Fuso – which has a fully-electric eCanter truck on New Zealand roads for testing.

EVtalk has had a brief chance to test the eCanter – and you can read about that later in this story.

Someone not used to testing such large vehicles, however, is Green Party member of parliament and associate minister of transport Julie Anne Genter.

But despite nerves, Genter did a quick lap of the Wellington CBD in the eCanter during its testing tour.

So how did she find her first experience driving an electric truck? Or a truck at all for that matter.

“It was easier to handle than I expected.Quieter and cleaner.It was easier to drive than an SUV.”

In a quick chat to EVtalk on the steps of parliament, Genter noted having “last mile” options like the eCanter are important as work continues to reduce the emissions of our transport fleet.

“If we can shift more freight to electrified rail or coastal shipping, we’ll still need to get things the last mile, and that is going to need to be zero emissions,” Genter says.

“But also there are benefits from the cleaner air and lower noise in residential areas.”

Does the government need to do more to assist the commercial fleet to transition to electric – in ways similar to that proposed for the light fleet in the proposed Clean Car Discount and Standard.

“We are focused on the light fleet because that’s an area where emissions have been increasing and we really need to make a change,” Genter notes.

“With heavier vehicles the EECA contestable fund already provides some incentives to switch to electric or cleaner vehicles.

“You’ll probably see some incentives coming out around biodiesel and other technology like hydrogen fuel cell for heavier vehicles and we will be improving the standards for heavy vehicles as well, over time.”

Fuso New Zealand chairman Leon Grandy believes electric trucks like the eCanter will play a part in meeting future transport needs.

“I think there are many alternative fuel sources other than clean diesel, including EV and fuel cells.In highly built up suburban areas, noise pollution, emission controls and a requirement for short-run, fast turnaround vehicles means EVS will be an essential part of the transportation sector.”

He says government assistance will be required for a widespread shift of transport vehicles to electric.

“We have lots of diesel distribution around the country, but we have very little electricity distribution specifically for commercial vehicles,” Grandy says.

“So in order to break the diesel monopoly, the government has to be involved in some way in actually exploring all of these alternative fuels, not just electric.”

We drive eCanter Based on the popular small truck, the eCanter has a gross vehicle weight of 7.5 tonnes, and a potential payload of 4.5 tonnes.

The eCanter has a modular battery system allowing the operator to specify up to 82.
8kWh of storage.

That gives a practical range of 100 to 120km, with a DC charging time of one hour to 80% – though there has been an indication the charging power limit could eventually rise to 170kW, dropping charge times further.

Charge overnight – it should take around nine hours with the 30amp supplied charger – and Fuso suggests off peak rates will make a recharge from 20% as cheap as $10.

Include 30% lower maintenance costs, and the potential for ongoing road user charge exemptions, and there is a strong running cost story to tell here.

The eCanter’s electric motor produces 135kW and 390Nm of torque, driving through a single-stage transmission.

There are two levels of regeneration for braking and energy recovery.

Fuso has discussed the possibility of a 40kW power take off motor for the truck, adding to its usage options.

The cab of the eCanter is the same as the rest of the Canter range, meaning it should slip right in to usage for operators who already have Fuso fleets.

The key difference is the push-button start and the centrally-mounted touchscreen providing battery, charging and regeneration information.

It also features the same advanced safety features available on the rest of the Canter range – active emergency braking, a lane departure warning system and electronic stability control.

EVtalk had the chance to spend 15 minutes behind the wheel of the eCanter.

It is as simple to drive as any automatic car or van, pop it into drive and go.

Empty, the eCanter sprints off the line like no other small truck I have ever experienced, and with the amount of torque on offer, it should preform well even with a load on board.

A quick squirt on the motorway, and I found the eCanter is limited to 90km/h – fine for the kind of work it will be doing.

It also felt more stable than I am used to.

Of particular note was the quietness and smoothness of the Fuso, not just over diesel trucks but over other electric commercials.

Fuso seems to have polished out many of the relay and motor noises we are used to, and the throttle and brake programming is very smooth.