The head turning silent delivery truck is meant to send the message to other logistics operators in the country that electric vehicles can offer a lot of benefits.
Fuso says eCanter driver Lance Valentine describes the fully-electric BevChain truck he uses as quick, quiet and efficient to deliver Toohey’s beer kegs to Sydney suburbs.
Each day, Lance completes three to four loops out from Linfox subsidiary BevChain’s Lidcombe base, delivering fresh Toohey’s kegs to pubs in a radius of 40km.
Lance plugs the truck into a fast charger when he returns to the BevChain base in order to briefly top up the batteries, and heads out again.
Depending on traffic conditions and route, total mileage for Lance’s daily deliveries could be up to 150km.
“When I get back to the yard after the first run, the battery still has decent range thanks to some regenerative braking,” says Valentine.
“With the fast charger, I easily top it up in a very short time and that gives me enough to get out and back without having to worry about range”.
Fuso says the eCanter uses six liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries mounted in the frame that store 82.8kW/h of electricity and feed a permanent magnet synchronous motor.
Lance says there is no mistake the truck is a pleasure to drive.
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“It is smoother, more comfortable and there is hardly any noise, It is also really easy to drive,” says Valentine.
Fuso says the near-silent operation is also a big plus for residents in the areas the Toohey’s kegs are delivered.
“Beyond the fact it is producing zero emissions, the quiet operation is also really important,” says Valentine.
“Driving around heavily populated areas without the noise of a diesel is a big positive when you think about noise pollution in a neighborhood”.
Fuso says Valentine didn’t know what the electric truck’s performance would be like and certainly didn’t expect it to be quick.
“I had never driven an electric car, so I didn’t know that they have really good performance and are quite zippy,” says Valentine.
The eCanter’s power output is 135kW and 390Nm of torque can be delivered the moment the accelerator pedal is pressed.
Fuso says Valentine also likes using the electric version of engine braking that also recharges the battery when pulling up the truck.
“The regenerative braking is so good that I hardly have to use the brakes,” says Valentine.
“I tend to look ahead and see what I can do to harvest energy with the regenerative braking, like lifting off to charge going down a hill or using the regenerative braking to pull up rather than use the brakes”.
Fuso says the braking system is so effective that the traditional brakes are used very little.
Valentine says the truck also gains a lot of attention.
“It is a real head-turner,” says Valentine.
“I have a lot of people come up to me and ask about it. They mainly want to know whether it really is an electric truck”.
“When I drive off hardly making a sound, it just blows them away.”
As for his role as one of the few drivers to pilot an electric truck in Australia, Valentine says it is something to be proud of.
“I’m really happy to drive a zero emissions truck and actually be part of history,” says Valentine.
Fuso says sustainable fleets play a major role in Linfox’s sustainability journey through its Green Fox program, established in 2007. Linfox strives to protect the environment through a shared vision with its customers and partners.
The eCanter was launched globally in 2017 and was introduced to Australia last year after a local evaluation program.
Fuso says leading transport operators have adopted the eCanter including Linfox (which operates trucks with partners Bunnings and Coles) as well as Australia Post and Centurion.
Fuso says that unlike other light duty electric trucks available in Australia, the eCanter features a full suite of active safety features including Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS), which uses radar to detect potential collisions and brake hard even in the event the driver fails to do so.
This system can automatically begin braking if it detects moving pedestrians, which is important in urban areas. Other safety features include a Lane Departure Warning System, Electronic Stability Control, Hill Start Assist, a reversing camera and driver and passenger airbags.