Toll puts eCanter on Sydney streets

Toll Group has added the all-electric Fuso eCanter into its daily operations at the Bungarribee site in Sydney.

The light truck is “perfectly suited” to operate late-night and early-morning pickup and delivery services in the metropolitan area, the company says.

Toll’s express parcels team will run a real-world trial to gain the latest operational insights from the vehicle.

The freight company aims to help its customers meet demand for cleaner and quieter urban deliveries as a result, it says.

The eCanter delivers a saving of around 16 tons of CO2 per year. It has a payload capacity of three tonnes and the drivetrain incorporates six high voltage lithium-ion batteries, each storing 13.8 kilowatt hours at 370 volts.

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

Toll Group operational services president Peter Stokes say while electric vehicles can easily be integrated into operations and handle freight effectively with positive feedback from 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 … We hope other markets will follow suit and we remain actively engaged with our partners towards incorporating electric vehicles into our fleet,” Stokes says.