Fuso eCanter, the ideal delivery vehicle for London’s “ULEZ”

The Fuso eCanter electric light-duty truck has become an ideal delivery vehicle for Calor, one of the UK’s best-known gas suppliers, in London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

Emitting zero emissions, the eCanter is now delivering the company’s bottled butane and propane to customers in central London. Helping to reduce the environmental impact of delivery operations, the truck spends much of its time working inside the city’s ULEZ contributing to improving the city’s air quality.

A single charge gives the eCanter an effective operating range of approximately 100 km, which is ample for many urban delivery applications. Calor’s vehicle typically covers around 50 kilometres a day, and its batteries are replenished overnight at a recharging point in the depot.

Typically, it leaves the depot each morning carrying a 2,370 kg load, and remains heavily laden throughout the day, as the driver collects empty gas bottles each time he drops off full ones.

One of those drivers is Alexandru Nechita says: “The eCanter is so smooth. The pick-up from a standing start is really strong and it pulls away easily. The lack of noise or vibration in the cab is noticeable too, and makes for a much more relaxing drive.” Like its diesel-engined stablemate, the eCanter is a compact and agile 7.5-tonner. “The truck’s size and manoeuvrability mean it’s easy to negotiate city-centre traffic or access particularly tight locations,” he added.

The Fuso eCanter is the world’s first all-electric light-duty truck in small-series production.

Built in Daimler Trucks’ small series-production plant in Tramagal, Portugal, the eCanter is in use in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Copenhagen and Lisbon to name a few.

Photos: Daimler