Fuso eCanter launched to zero emission trial participants

Fuso eCanter’s first New Zealand adopters recently joined representatives from government and infrastructure for a special launch event and information session at Fuso NZ in Auckland.

The event precedes the arrival of the first eCanter stock due in May, with five of the units dedicated to Auckland Transport’s Queen Street Valley Zero Emissions Area (ZEA) trial which is headed by participants Mainfreight, Bidfood, Toll, Owens Transport and Vector OnGas.

The day-long event saw a full demonstration of the eCanter, including test drives, as well as providing a great insight into developments and trends around EV technology and power infrastructure, particularly from a transport operator perspective.

Fuso NZ head of sales and customer experience Kathy Schluter says it was an opportunity to collaborate and share knowledge.

“We would very much like to thank everyone for participating, particularly the insights gained from Andrew Renton from Transpower, EECA’s Camilla Cochrane, Liz Yeaman from Retyna, and Greg Nelson from Auckland Transport. The knowledge shared was invaluable and created some great discussions amongst the group” Schluter says. 

“We’re all excited to finally see Fuso eCanter arrive and go to work in the Auckland CBD. 

“It is ideal for inner city delivery, easy to drive, produces zero emissions and is virtually silent, which is a huge benefit for local residents and workers. 

“The ZEA trial very much sets the scene for the future, particularly for these early adopters, who have joined us on this journey leading the charge,” Schluter says. 

The eCanter is the first series-manufactured electric truck from an OEM globally, and is backed by three million kilometres of real-world testing and evaluation.

“We are delighted to be the first to bring New Zealand a zero-emissions delivery truck, which includes fully integrated advanced safety systems. 

“This is a project we have focused on for a number of years and we are looking forward to getting these units out to work for our customers. 

“We’d love to hear from operators interested in integrating a Fuso eCanter into their fleet,” Schluter says.

The eCanter is powered by an 81kWh (420v) lithium-ion, liquid-cooled battery pack. It delivers 135kW of power and 390Nm of torque, which provides a range of up to 150km on a single charge. 

The electric drivetrain is fitted to a standard 3.4m wheelbase Fuso Canter cab chassis, meaning customers and bodybuilders will be working with the same, familiar 750mm wide frame.

A standard CCS2 plug is used for charging, with downtime minimised with DC fast charge capability that will have the battery at 80% capacity in less than one hour, the company says. 

The eCanter comes equipped with an AC charge cable (max 32A), which will allow a full charge overnight using off-peak power.