The eCanter from Fuso is undergoing around the clock testing before it is introduced to market.
Daimler Truck & Bus Australia Pacific confirmed the all-electric 4×2 model was undergoing advanced real-world testing on Victorian roads as part of a six-month long evaluation.
It also supplements what the truckmaker has described as a substantial global testing program for the world’s first production all-electric light vehicle.
The global evaluation will bring together real world experience of vehicle operators in the United States, Europe and Japan since the eCanter’s introduction in 2017.
Developed from the ground-up, the eCanter uses Daimler’s research and development resources and offers Australian customers a fully-integrated Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) all-electric truck.
For the local test program, three drivers have been taking turns during each 24-hour period, running the eCanter on designated loops before returning and charging the truck, ready for the next driver.
It has been run empty as well at its maximum Gross Vehicle Mass of 7.5 tonnes in variable and contrasting conditions.
“The eCanter test program is one small part of the testing and development program for this ground-breaking all-electric vehicle, but it is very important,” said Daniel Whitehead, Daimler Truck & Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO.
“Our customers need to know that they are buying a product from a manufacturer that has done the hard work to ensure its vehicle has been properly developed and tested,” he said.
To date great interest has been shown in the eCanter from large Australian fleets according to Whitehead.
“These customers are especially attracted by the fact the eCanter is a fully-integrated manufacturer developed and tested electric truck, rather than something put together by a third party using a donor truck and electric components from another source,” he said.
Fuso presented an eCanter at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show and select Australian fleets such as Toll and Australia Post have subsequently briefly trialled the vehicle.
The eCanter is equipped with Advanced Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start assist, reversing camera and driver and passenger airbags.
Fuso includes these key safety features at no extra cost to customers.