Prime Mover December 2019

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CE even more electro-magnetic retardation and the effect is significantly better than what can be experienced in an equivalent sized diesel truck and from our brief experience we conclude that brake pads will outlast the rest of the truck as the brakes are only used when coming to a complete stop. Obviously without a conventional engine or transmission servicing costs will be low across the lifetime of the truck but will require technicians with expanded skill sets in order to be able to work safely with the high voltage power circuits.

Small electric motors provide the power to run the cooling pump and fans, the power steering, the air conditioning and the electro-hydraulic wheel brakes. Inside the wide cab (which seats three adults comfortably) with the audio system off the only perceptible noise at 60 km/h is a slight hum from the tyres on the pavement and the whir of the air conditioner’s ventilation fan. The eCanter will quietly (pun intended) gain the attention of potential operators, politicians and environmentalists and for the moment at least, it has the major

Liquid cooled lithium ion battery packs mounted on the outside of each of the chassis rails.

advantage of being a product totally developed by a global player such as Daimler, a fact not lost on local senior management. “The eCanter is not available in Australia just yet, but when it is, it will come with all the benefits of being backed by an established truck maker,” says Daniel Whitehead, president and CEO of Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific. “That will include the assurance of parts, service support and warranty coverage provided by our national Fuso dealership network.”

Maximum power is delivered from zero rpm for stunning accleration.

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