SPEEDY Services has commissioned two zero-emission FUSO eCanter trucks to transport its range of products.
One of the trucks is based at a depot near Whitehaven, Cumbria, which supplies contractors working at the Sellafield former nuclear power and fuel reprocessing site. The other works from a branch in Warrington, where it serves a client base comprised largely of building firms.
Speedy fleet director Aaron Powell said, “We’re keen to invest in low and zero-emission transport as quickly as is practically possible. We already have around 150 electric vans on our fleet but these eCanters are our first battery-powered trucks at 7.5 tonnes.
“We reviewed the market before settling on the FUSO eCanter. There are battery-electric alternatives available, but these are either aftermarket conversions or vehicles that are very new. The eCanter, by contrast, is a factory-built truck that is already well proven in operation and comes with a bumper-to-bumper warranty.
“Driveline aside, it’s also very similar to the diesel-engined Canters that have been providing reliable and cost-efficient service on our fleet for many years.”
The 7.5-tonne eCanter boasts an electric drivetrain which employs six 13.8 kWh lithium-ion batteries with a total power output of 82.8 kWh. The permanent-magnet motor delivers 129 kW via a single-gear transmission in the rear axle. A single charge gives the truck an operating range of more than 62 miles.
The new eCanters are the subject of a contract hire agreement with Daimler Truck Financial Services and fitted with plant-carrying platform bodies by Bevan Group.
