NEWS
Getting new eCanters working in NZ has been a five-year process
Electric FUSOs finally here AUCKLAND’S ONE-YEAR CITY-CENTRE ELECTRIC truck trial is set to begin next month, following the long-awaited arrival in New Zealand of six FUSO eCanter battery-electric light trucks. Fuso NZ says their arrival is the culmination of five years of planning and prepares the way for the approved trial of electric trucks in Auckland City’s proposed zero emissions area (ZEA). Five of the electric FUSOs are going to work in the trial, making deliveries in the city centre for operators Mainfreight, Bidfood, Toll Group, Owens Transport and Vector OnGas. The trial – said to be NZ’s biggest working evaluation of electric trucks so far – sees Fuso NZ partnering with EROAD, with co-funding for the acquisition of the trucks through the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund, administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). The operators involved will work with Fuso NZ, their customers and drivers to optimise the potential of their trucks, develop insights into optimum scheduling and vehicle capacity, and to identify solutions to any unanticipated barriers to electric truck operation in the proposed ZEA. Fuso NZ GM of sales and customer experience Kathy Schluter says the company is proud to be collaborating with “such a wide variety of credible, future-thinking brands,” and is hopeful that the ZEA trial will be a benchmark for other businesses who may be considering a transition to sustainable vehicle fleets.” Describing the arrival of the eCanters as “a momentous and hugely significant milestone for NZ transport,” Schluter says FUSO’s commitment to bringing electric trucks to NZ “will amplify our country’s renewable electricity advantage.” It will also bring focus to “the need to decarbonise vehicle fleets to 4 | Truck & Driver
deliver on the Government’s climate change goals. “Nimble, quiet and environmentally friendly, the trucks are specifically made for the city environment. We are delighted to team up with our major clients to learn and lead together to deliver a sustainable future for our country,” says Schluter. EECA transport portfolio manager, Richard Briggs, says the “high-density urban environment the trucks will operate in will be a robust test ground. The trial will demonstrate how these trucks perform, and reveal associated lower costs – such as expected reduced maintenance and servicing. “Importantly, the project will give an insight into how participating businesses will operate their trucks considering the different work profiles for each vehicle, scheduling runs around the need to charge, and the behavioural aspects of going electric.” Auckland Transport chief executive Shane Ellison says he’s confident that the learnings obtained from operating eCanters in the area will help to fasttrack the Auckland City Centre Masterplan, which sets out to address the area’s air pollution problem by reducing internal combustion engine vehicles. “Auckland Transport has a vision of a low-emissions transport network and FUSO’s eCanter trial project has real potential to contribute to this goal.” The trial will provide evidence to support the AT and Waka Kotahi NZTA business cases, legislative change and policy implementation planning required for Auckland to successfully implement the ZEA – and “provide confidence to freight operators that they can, and should, continue their businesses with electric trucks”, says Ellison. The zero emissions eCanters also have, as standard, safety features including active emergency braking, lane departure warning system and electronic stability control. T&D
