NZ Post gives thumbs up to Fuso eCanter

NZ Post is giving top marks to its light-duty electric Fuso eCanter truck following a six-month trial. 

A recent report details the performance of the eCanter which NZ Post has been operating between its North Shore Operation Centre and Silverdale Depot, north of Auckland, for the trial. 

Senior environmental manager Maddie Ashby and energy manager Cees Ebskamp analysed performance data and declared the vehicle “a great success”. 

They hope the findings from their report will be helpful to other contractors within the NZ Post network as well as other companies in the delivery and transport sector. 

Group sustainability manager Dawn Baggaley says the learnings will help enable NZ Post to rollout low carbon technology in the transport network.  

The trial resulted in large fuel cost savings of 77.3% lower than the diesel equivalent as well as carbon emissions savings, down by 86.5% on a diesel equivalent. 

  An estimated output of 15 tonnes of carbon has been avoided during the six-month trial period. 

“Over the course of a year, that’s roughly the same as removing seven passenger cars off the road,” Baggaley says. 

 Truck driver Ajay Kumar says the eCanter is quiet, very nice to drive and he likes that there’s no longer a need to go to a petrol station. 

He receives plenty of positive feedback from the public on the use of the quiet, clean truck too. 

NZ Post received $239,948 co-funding from the Government’s Low Emission Transport Fund, administered by EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) for the eCanter and charger infrastructure. 

 “The smaller e-truck is an area of particular interest for NZ Post and the Fuso eCanter presents a great opportunity to trial short-haul deliveries which are often hard to navigate around tight roads and streets for the larger fleet,” the report says.  

 The report highlights NZ Post’s ambition to support its fleet “move to alternative technologies such as e-vans and e-trucks to help create a low-carbon future and realise the benefits they provide to the contractors (lower weekly costs) and the communities in which they operate (lower carbon emissions, less local pollutants and noise)”.