Fuso begins production of a new eCanter Truck.

The eCanter is driven by a 110 kW or 129 kW electric motor which produces 430 Nm of torque. It has an optimized driveline and gives a maximum speed of 89 kph.

Daimler Truck subsidiary Fuso has begun manufacturing the all-electric next-generation Fuso light truck in Europe, following its European premiere at the IAA Transportation in Hanover in September 2022.

The first next-generation eCanter from European production rolled off the assembly line on May 22 at the Mitsubishi Fuso Europe (MFTE) production plant in Tramagal, Portugal.

Another significant achievement was the production of the 250,000th Fuso Canter at the Tramagal facility, which has been producing the Fuso Canter since 1980.

The start of production of the Fuso eCanter marks a watershed moment for Karl Deppen, CEO of Daimler Truck Asia: "An essential part of it is assisting our clients' transition to eMobility with the simple, efficient, and electric eCanter, which is now being manufactured in Tramagal. We are now a significant step closer to CO2-neutral transportation."

Production of the all-electric light truck began in the first quarter at the facility in Kawasaki, Japan, which supplies the new eCanter in Japan and all other non-European markets globally. Sales will begin in 17 European markets first (France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Slovakia, Greece, and Poland).

Fuso, Daimler Truck's Japanese affiliate, has made significant changes to the Next Generation eCanter to better fulfil customer demands. While the previous electric truck was only available in a 7.49-tonner with a 3,400mm wheelbase, clients now have a choice of six wheelbases ranging from 2,500 to 4,750mm and a permissible gross vehicle weight ranging from 4.25 to 8.55 tons.

The chassis has a load capacity of up to 5 tons. The eCanter is driven by a 110 kW or 129 kW electric motor which produces 430 Nm of torque. It has an optimized driveline and gives a maximum speed of 89 kph.

Three battery packs are offered, depending on the wheelbase: S, M, and L. The batteries employ lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell technology, which has advantages such as longer service life and more usable energy.

• The S model has a nominal capacity of 41 kWh and a range of up to 70 kilometres.
• The M model has a nominal capacity of 83 kWh and a range of up to 140km.
• The L model has a nominal capacity of 124 kWh and a range of up to 200km.

This is significantly higher than the average daily distance covered by light distribution traffic.

Recuperation can extend the range even further while minimizing charging stops. The first-generation eCanter was only available with a battery with a nominal capacity of 81kWh.

The new eCanter is compatible with all major voltages in the key markets. The charging unit accepts both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) charging.

The charging standard is the Combined Charging System CCS, and charging at up to 104 kW is feasible. DC rapid charging from 20 to 80 per cent capacity is feasible in as little as 24 minutes (S), 26 minutes (M), and 39 minutes (L), depending on the battery pack. AC charging (11 and 22 kW) takes between four and six hours, depending on the battery pack.