Mitsubishi Fuso, a division of Daimler Trucks, will unveil the Fuso Canter E-CELL electric truck is at the 2010 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover this week.
The Fuso Canter E-Cell is based on a 3.5-ton Canter 3S13 with a battery pack fitted within the chassis frame. Given the fact that there are no conventional powertrain components to accommodate, the payload of the Canter E-CELL is only around 200 kg lower than the version fitted with a conventional drive.
The Fuso Canter E-Cell is powered by a 40 kWh Li-ion battery pack, enough for the truck to have a range of 120km (75 miles). This exceeds the daily mileage recorded in distribution or urban trade applications. When plugged into a 380-volt power network outlet the battery pack can be recharged in around 6 hours.
The Fuso Canter E-Cell features a 70KW electric motor with a maximum torque of 300Nm. Its speed limited to a top speed of 80km/h (50 mph).
In addition to the E-Cell electric concept, the Canter is also produced as a hybrid version and with a conventional diesel engine. More than 1,000 of the Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids are already on the road in Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland, and in a large-scale testing program in London.
Depending on the region in which the Canter Eco Hybrid with diesel-electric drive is used, it delivers fuel savings of between ten and 15 percent. The two-ton version of the Canter Hybrid has a fuel efficiency of 8.6 L/100km (27 mpg US), which is the best fuel economy of any truck sold in Japan.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]