Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America, Inc. (MFTA) will display its FUSO eCanter all-electric truck in its booth at GIE+Expo 2016, October 20-21 at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville.

Its parent company, Daimler Trucks Asia/Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation is well along in the development of an all-electric, battery-powered FUSO eCanter cabover work truck, and a year of in-use testing has demonstrated that FUSO eCanter all-electric trucks can generate a 64% savings in operating costs compared to an equivalent diesel-powered vehicle in the same service.

To help gauge the level of interest in an electric work truck in North America, MFTA is showing the FUSO eCanter truck at a number of trade shows, including GEI+EXPO 2016.

FUSO also recently announced during the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hannover, Germany, that it will start a small production run of vehicles for several markets around the world, including the USA. The company expects the first all-electric trucks to reach the U.S. in 2017.

To prove the value of an all-electric work truck, MFTA’s parent company conducted a field trial using eight prototype vehicles, with varied flatbed/stakebody and dry van bodies installed. These trucks were operated by fleet customers in Europe, where the vehicles are assembled. The fleet managers were asked to put the E-Cell trucks to use in routine service while Mitsubishi Fuso engineers closely monitored the vehicles’ performance and use profiles for a full year.

An analysis of the data revealed that the FUSO eCanter work trucks required an average of 47.6 kwh/62 miles (47.6 kwh/100 km), compared to an equivalent diesel-powered Canter’s average fuel consumption of 3.72 gallons/62 miles (14.08 liters/100 km). Calculation of actual cost savings in any particular region would require the use of the specific cost of diesel fuel and electricity rates in that region. Based on diesel fuel pricing and electricity costs in the European locations where the trucks were operated, the E-Cell trucks produced a cost savings of 64% over the one-year testing period.

Not only did the eight test vehicles produce impressive operating cost savings, but they also produced zero CO2 or other tailpipe emissions, and even delivered a 37% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to diesel-powered trucks, after accounting for emissions generated by the power plants creating the electricity needed to recharge the batteries.

In addition to in-depth performance data, the company elicited customer evaluations of the vehicles’ practicality, suitability for their specific operating requirements and their ease of use. Results have been quite positive, with all customers reporting that, when used as intended, the trucks performed well. Types of service included express package delivery and freight forwarding in urban environments, municipal refuse and public works service, and forestry service equipment and debris hauling.

For more information about Mitsubishi Fuso and its Canter work trucks, visit www.mitfuso.com.