Speedy expands battery-electric fleet with FUSO eCanters

Speedy Services has introduced two Fuso eCanter electric trucks to its delivery fleet.

The new vehicles join an existing fleet of around 150 electric vans, which are currently operated by the business.

One eCanter is based at a depot near Whitehaven, Cumbria, which supplies contractors working at the Sellafield former nuclear power and fuel reprocessing site. The other works from a branch in Warrington, where it serves a client base comprised largely of building firms.

This vehicle spent its first week of duty on a display stand at Speedy Expo 2022, in Liverpool, where the operator showcased its products and services to customers and suppliers.

Speedy’s fleet Director Aaron Powell said: “We’re keen to invest in low and zero-emission transport as quickly as is practically possible. We already have around 150 electric vans on our fleet but these eCanters are our first battery-powered trucks at 7.5 tonnes.

“We reviewed the market before settling on the FUSO eCanter. There are battery-electric alternatives available, but these are either aftermarket conversions or vehicles that are very new. The eCanter, by contrast, is a factory-built truck that is already well proven in operation and comes with a bumper-to-bumper warranty.

“Driveline aside, it’s also very similar to the diesel-engined Canters that have been providing reliable and cost-efficient service on our fleet for many years.”

The 7.5-tonne eCanter employs six 13.8kWh lithium-ion batteries, with a total power output of 82.8kWh (66kWh usable). The motor delivers 180hp via a single-gear transmission in the rear axle. A single charge gives the truck an effective operating range of more than 62 miles.

Speedy’s fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles includes 50 at 7.5-tonnes GVW, more than half of which are FUSO models.

Powell added: “Increasingly, large corporate customers are demanding that every business in their supply chains should take all available measures to operate as sustainably as possible. In our case, that means investing in electric vans and trucks, so the eCanter is likely to feature prominently in our plans for the future."