Daimler Begins Fuso eCanter Light-Duty Truck Production In Portugal

Daimler has begun producing its first all-electric light-duty Fuso eCanter trucks at the company’s Tramagal facility in Portugal, going by a new press release from the firm. The Fuso eCanter represents the world’s first production all‑electric light-duty truck.

This first “small-series” production run will see initial customers begin receiving their trucks over just the next few months, reportedly. All of the Fuso eCanter trucks to be sold in Europe and in the US will be manufactured at the production plant in Tramagal, Portugal — alongside the conventional Fuso Canter truck offering.

As some background — to clear up any possible confusion about the companies involved — Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is a brand of Daimler Trucks Asia, hence the news that Daimler has begun production.

The press release provides more: “The Portuguese government has been supporting the development of the eCanter since the early stages in 2010. The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, joined members of the government, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck Europe and MFTBC executives at the event.

“In May, MFTBC already announced its first commercial customer in the Japanese market: Seven-Eleven Co., Ltd. will be operating 25 units of the new eCanter in their fleet within this year.

“After unveiling the first charging station for trucks in May and starting production at the Kawasaki plant in Japan on July 7th, today’s event symbolizes the beginning of manufacturing of the eCanter outside of Japan.”

A shift from small-series to large-scale production of the eCanter is expected to begin sometime in the coming year. Presuming that everything goes well, that is.

As some further background on the offering, the eCanter possesses a range of 100 kilometers per full charge, a load capacity of 2–3 tons (depending upon usage), and a battery system composed of six 13.8 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery packs. These battery packs are being provided by the Daimler subsidiary Accumotive.