Speedy Services has expanded its delivery fleet with two Fuso eCanter electric vehicles.
Speedy 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”
One eCanter is stationed at a depot in Whitehaven, Cumbria, and supplies contractors working at the former nuclear power and fuel reprocessing complex of Sellafield. The other operates from a location in Warrington, where it mostly services construction businesses. This truck spent its first week on duty at Speedy Expo 2022 in Liverpool, where the operator displayed its products and services to consumers and suppliers.
“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 is powered by six 13.8kWh lithium-ion batteries, totaling 82.8kWh (66kWh usable). The rear axle’s single-gear gearbox provides 134kW from the motor. The vehicle has an effective operational range of more than 62 kilometres on a single charge.
Speedy’s fleet of over 1,000 vehicles includes 50 7.5-tonne GVW vehicles, with more than half of them being FUSO types.
