The Fuso Canter E-cell Customer Trials

By Author: Kevin Powell
Total Articles: 5
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Although not on the market yet, the Fuso “Zero Emission” Canter E-Cell is showing incredible promise as a green, emission free industrial vehicle. Daimler has decided to test eight of these trucks for a year, to see which areas need improvement and test how the truck holds up when performing various duties.

The Eight Fuso Canter E-Cells officially begun their one year customer trials in Portugal in July 2014. This truck is the first of its kind, all electric, light duty, virtually silent and emission free. The hope is that this truck will benefit a world that is becoming increasingly more aware of its impact on the environment. This translates to an upper hand in navigating eco-friendly zones, avoiding possible future cost of CO2 road tolls and improve relationships with both their clients and the general public. Nothing like the Fuso Canter E-Cell has ever hit the market before but Daimler is hopeful that this truck will become a pioneer in its field. According to Dr. Kirchmann, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, “The Fuso Canter E-Cell allows us once again to emphasize our leadership ...
... in the field of alternative drive systems."

Although the Fuso Canter E-Cell runs exclusively on electricity, it is still a very powerful, high performance truck with 150 horsepower and a maximum torque of 650 Nm. Four lithium-ion battery packs power the Fuso Canter E-Cell, providing it with a large range of roughly 62 miles. It is a quieter, more powerful version of previous models and is easy to maneuver. Like other trucks of its size and caliber, the Fuso Canter E-Cell has a maximum speed of 90 kilometers per hour or roughly 56 miles. For the tasks the truck is required to perform, this is an appropriate top speed that enables the truck to navigate most major highways. All of these assets make the Fuso Canter E-Cell ideal for numerous tasks in both cities and countryside, further elevating its advances over similar trucks on the market.

The one year trial of the eight trucks is taking place in Portugal, whose government is very supportive of the production of the environmentally friendly truck. Here the trucks are tested under varying conditions to ensure a high quality performance in any setting. According to Daimler, Lisbon is making sure the truck can stand up to horticultural tasks and waste disposal whilst Porto is using it for transportation between municipal buildings. The Fuso Canter E-cell is also being used as an environmentally friendly postal truck as well as a distribution service. The trucks are equipped with either a box body or a platform body, depending on the tasks it is being used to carry out. Testing the trucks in so many different conditions will confirm the Fuso Canter E-Cell's high performance capability in any setting.

The testing of this truck happens to collide with the 50th anniversary of the first truck production of the Portuguese Tramagal plant. It only seems fitting that the trucks are tested in Portugal, since the Tramagal plant has built all the prototypes of the Canter E-Cell. Although it is manufactured in Portugal, the design of the truck incorporates Japanese, German and American engineering, joining some of the strongest nations in the field in an effort to create a "green" industrial vehicle.

It is unsure at the moment when the truck will be available for purchase or what the price point will be. The customer trial in Portugal is only set to last a year, however the outcome of these trials will likely affect how long businesses will have to wait before this impressive truck will begin to be produced an become available for purchase. Once available, the Fuso Canter E-Cell is sure to provide a great alternative to high pollution industrial trucks for any business or government.

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