– Daimler AG has launched Europe’s largest fleet test of hybrid trucks by presenting 10 Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids to eight customers in

. The goals of the three-year test are to gain new insights into the use of 7.5-ton hybrid trucks by customers and to demonstrate the diesel-electric hybrid drive’s high level of efficiency.

The Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid could consume up to 15 percent less fuel than conventional diesel vehicles, and the hybrid truck’s CO2 emissions are therefore decreased correspondingly as well, according to www.theautochannel.com.

The 10 Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids were presented to the eight customers (Amey, DHL, Hill Hire, Ringway, Royal Mail, Scottish and Southern, Tesco, and TNT) in the heart of

. In selecting the partners for the test, Daimler made sure that the fleet test would cover a wide range of different customer requirements with regard to commercial vehicles. For example, while trucks used by logistics companies like DHL, Royal Mail, and TNT for package deliveries are often caught in stop-and-go traffic and frequently have to stop to unload cargo, trucks operated by the retail chain Tesco are used on regular runs between supermarkets and the central warehouse. The Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid will document its fuel-saving potential in both of these user scenarios.

The vehicles used in Europe’s largest hybrid truck fleet test were manufactured by Daimlers subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) as a small batch and combine two different technologies: hybrid components and the Euro 4 powertrain of the series-produced 7.5-ton Fuso Canter. This combination is especially tailored to the needs of the European market, as it meets the EU emissions standard Euro 4.

To allow customers to begin using their Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids immediately, all of the vehicles were fully labeled and painted in the respective company colors. Two specialized Mercedes-Benz service centers are located in the

metropolitan area to support customers in the ongoing operation of the hybrid trucks. In fall 2008, specialists at Daimler will equip all of the 10 Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids with a new measuring system.

The fleet test of the Fuso Canter Hybrid in

is another important milestone in Daimler’s “Shaping Future Transportation” initiative. Launched in November 2007, the initiative aims to use clean, efficient drive systems and alternative fuels to make emission-free commercial vehicles a reality in the future.

Daimler is the global market leader when it comes to commercial vehicles with hybrid drives. More than 1,500 Orion hybrid buses have been delivered to customers in the

and in

, and further 1,100 are on order. In addition, 160 Freightliner hybrid trucks have gone into operation, and 200 further vehicles will be delivered to UPS beginning in 2009. Altogether, Freightliner will put more than 1,500 medium-duty hybrid trucks on the road over the next three years. Moreover, a total of 300 Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids have been delivered to customers since 2006. In addition, Mitsubishi Fuso also offers the Fuso Aero Star Eco Hybrid route bus in

.