Gas supplier Calor has added a FUSO eCanter to its fleet for use delivering bottled butane and propane to customers in central London.

The fully electric 7.5-tonner is based at Calor’s depot in Wandsworth, south-west London, and spends much of its time working inside the city’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

“At Calor we like to move quickly to adopt any new technology that can help our business. The FUSO eCanter is a perfect example – it reduces the impact of our operations on the environment, while also making sound financial sense,” said Alan Harrison, national vehicle engineering manger at Calor.

The vehicle has a body and payload allowance of up to 4.5 tonnes. Its electric drivetrain employs six 420V and 13.8kWh lithium-ion batteries, and delivers 180hp via a single-gear transmission in the rear axle.

“Electric power is a new departure for us, so of course we’ll be monitoring the truck very closely,” continued Harrison. “The environmental benefits are clear, but we are also expecting the eCanter to prove highly economical in terms of its total cost of operation. The early signs are certainly promising.”

A single charge gives the eCanter an effective operating range of more than 62 miles. Calor’s vehicle typically covers 30 miles a day, and its batteries are replenished overnight at a recharging point in the depot.

Calor’s eCanter is fitted with a dropside body with safety rails, by SB Components, of Wisbech. Typically, it leaves the depot each morning carrying a 2,370Kg load, and remains heavily laden throughout the day, as the driver collects empty gas bottles each time he drops off full ones.

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