Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation has introduced new faces in its stable by unveiling their next generation all-electric light-duty eCanter truck.
The Japanese carmaker also announced that the new electric trucks are set to be available in South Africa for testing as of mid-2023.
Since its launch in 2017 as the first series-produced truck of its kind in Japan, the vehicle has also been running in continents such as Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
With five years of operational experience, MFTBC has now developed the next generation eCanter, with an expanded vehicle line-up.
The company published a statement on its website, confirming that sales of the new eCanter are scheduled to start in the Japanese market next year, with overseas markets to follow.
Daimler Truck Southern Africa sales and marketing VP Maretha Gerber says the exact date for the South African introduction is not yet confirmed.
However, she said, for now, they can confirm that they will receive the first demonstration units in mid-2023 for testing purposes.
“With these structural changes, a significant expansion of the product line-up was made possible,” said MFTBC.
The new eCanter line-up comes with 28 variants for the Japanese market and around 80 variants for overseas markets to address a wider range of logistics needs.
In addition to the current 7.5 t (GVW) model, the new vehicle comes in weight classes ranging from 5 t to 8 t for Japanese customers, with overseas models starting from the 4 t class.
“MFTBC now also now offers a wide cab (2 130 mm) that can accommodate more cargo, in addition to the standard cab width (1 700 mm) that brings more flexibility to routes covering narrow roads,” reports Engineering News.
“The variety of wheelbases has also been expanded, from 2 500 mm up to 4 750 mm. MFTBC has also introduced a new modular concept for batteries.
“The vehicle can house one to three batteries, determined by the wheelbase. The vehicles equipped with a single battery, with a rated capacity of 41 kWh, can drive around 80 km on one charge, while those with two batteries can drive for 140 km, and those with three batteries around 200 km.”
In addition, Japanese customers will have access to a V2X function that enables the eCanter’s batteries to supply power to homes and other equipment in the event of an emergency – which can be a very welcome feature in South Africa with its frequent load-shedding.
Main Image: eCanter Trucks/Mitsubishi FUSO
