Speedy Services adds two FUSO eCanters to fleet

Tool and equipment hire company Speedy Services added its first two zero-emission FUSO eCanters to its fleet.

One of the new vehicles is based at a depot near Whitehaven, Cumbria, where it supplies contractors working at the former nuclear power and fuel reprocessing site in Sellafield, while the other works from a branch in Warrington, serving mostly building firms.

Speedy’s 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.

“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 new eCanters are the subject of a contract hire agreement with Daimler Truck Financial Services and fitted with plant-carrying platform bodies by Bevan Group; these have dropsides incorporating the Black Country bodybuilder’s patented Safe-T-Drop system.

Power comes from six 13.8kWh lithium-ion batteries with a total usable battery size of 66kWh and a claimed range of around 62 miles. The batteries are paired to an electric motor producing 129kW (180 hp) via a single-speed transmission in the rear axle.

Powell added: “With an exceptionally high body and payload allowance, compact footprint and tight turning circle, the diesel Canter has proved to be well suited to our demands. The battery-powered version combines the same advantages with a smooth and quiet electric driveline that requires no gearchanges so is even easier and more comfortable to drive.”