The Fuso Canter Ecohybrid

Mercedes-Benz is now selling a factory hybrid version of the Fuso Canter 7.5t truck in the UK.

The new EcoHybrid Fuso Canter has a 7.5-tonne gross vehicle weight and is ideally suited to urban, multi-drop work. It has demonstrated fuel savings of up to 23 per cent on trial, as well as correspondingly lower CO₂ emissions.

What’s The Fuso Canter?

The Fuso Canter is a Japanese model that originally came from the Mitsubishi stable. The Fuso Canter model is now part of the Daimler Truck Group and although developed in Japan, is built in Portugal for the European market.

It’s increasingly popular and well-regarded by operators, and benefits from rugged engineering and light weight compared to most European-model 7.5t trucks (e.g. DAF, MAN, Mercedes). Admittedly it lacks some of the creature comforts and driver appeal of these rivals — but from an operator’s point of view, it is very attractive, particularly for urban and multi-drop work.

The Technical Details

The EcoHybrid features a Euro V-compliant 110 kW (150 PS) diesel engine which operates in parallel with a state-of-the-art, slimline, 40 kW electric motor installed between the  clutch and Duonic two pedal automated manual transmission.

Lithium-ion batteries backed by a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty provide an affordable ‘green’ solution and Mercedes says that service costs are comparable to a standard, diesel-engined Canter, demonstrated by identical Repair & Maintenance contract prices. Efficiency is boosted by a recuperation system which acts as a re-charging generator, transforming braking and deceleration energy back into useable electricity.

Trialled & Tested

In 2008 Fuso entered a three-year, London-based Hybrid trial, the largest in Europe, with partners Amey, DHL, Hill Hire, Royal Mail, Ringway, Scottish & Southern, Tesco and TNT. These trial vehicles, based on the previous generation Canter (TD model), were fitted with a variety of body types and daily workloads varied, but the operators reported fuel savings of up to 16 per cent.

Sam Whittaker, Director of Truck Sales & Marketing at Mercedes-Benz UK, said:

“The London trial was a great success for Fuso. As a result of intensive vehicle monitoring we learnt a great deal not only about the technology, but also about our customers’ needs and expectations. The trial demonstrated, in real-life, everyday conditions, the fuel savings and environmental improvements that can be achieved.”

“We’re delighted that as a direct result of the work which was done here in the UK, and of the data generated by our valued customers, we’re now able to offer a factory-built EcoHybrid Fuso Canter at an affordable and competitive price.”

The EcoHybrid, as all Fuso Canter models, will be sold and supported by the Mercedes-Benz Commercial Vehicle dealer network. The compact, manoeuvrable and bodybuilder-friendly chassis cab offers an impressive and class leading payload, even with the EcoHybrid technology on-board.