Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation

05/26/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/25/2023 22:07

The new eCanter makes its first appearance in Australia at the Brisbane Truck Show

The new eCanter makes its first appearance in Australia
at the Brisbane Truck Show

  • The remodeled eCanter made its Australian debut at the Brisbane Truck Show
  • Orders for the new truck will open in Q4 2023

Brisbane, Australia / Kawasaki, Japan - Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC; headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President and CEO: Karl Deppen) is pleased to announce that the remodeled eCanter truck was presented in Australia for the first time at the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show (May 18th-21st).

Since the eCanter's market introduction in 2021, the pioneering truck has been chosen by leading Australian logistics providers. MFTBC's tried-and-tested truck will now receive a major upgrade with a newly redesigned drivetrain configuration, featuring the eAxle. With orders scheduled to open in Q4 2023, the new vehicles will be shipped out of MFTBC's Kawasaki Plant as a built-up (BU) product.

14 variants of the product will be available to Australian customers, ranging from 4.5 to 8.55 tonnes. Three different battery configurations offering various driving ranges, and two types of cab sizes allow for even greater flexibility. Like the European and Japanese market models, the Australian product will also come with a power take-off (ePTO), which can support a wider selection of body types, including tippers, cranes, and refrigerated vans.

The Australian government has been taking tougher actions to slow climate change in recent years. In 2022, it announced its intentions to reduce national emissions to net zero by 2050. New fuel-efficiency standards that will encourage the uptake of electric vehicles are also scheduled to be rolled out by the end of the year. With these policy developments on the horizon, the FUSO eCanter is expected to play an important role in the changing Australian trucking industry.

The new eCanter showcased at the Brisbane Truck Show

About the eCanter

The eCanter is the Japanese market's first series-produced, all-electric truck developed by MFTBC as a solution to urban environmental issues such as noise, exhaust gas, and CO2 emissions. As the eCanter is locally emission-free with its electric motor and produces less noise and vibration compared to conventional diesel-powered vehicles, it is particularly suited to inner-city routes as well as operations during late night and early morning hours. After the launch of the first model in 2017, MFTBC released an improved model with enhanced safety equipment in August 2020. Since its launch, the truck has been chosen by customers in Japan, Europe, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. In March 2023, MFTBC opened orders for the fully remodeled eCanter with a significantly expanded number of variants to cater to diverse business needs. The new model is also scheduled to be rolled out in additional overseas markets.

MFTBC at a Glance

Based in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, with 89.29% of its shares owned by Daimler Truck AG and 10.71% by various Mitsubishi group companies. An icon in the Japanese commercial vehicle industry with a longstanding history of over 90 years with its FUSO brand, MFTBC manufactures a range of commercial vehicles including light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and buses, and industrial engines for over 170 markets worldwide. In 2017, MFTBC introduced the eCanter, the first all-electric light-duty truck in series-production and in 2019, the Super Great - Japan's first heavy-duty truck fitted with Level 2 Automated Driving Support Technology, a benchmark in the Japanese commercial vehicle market. MFTBC operates under the umbrella of Daimler Truck Asia, together with its partner organization Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) in India. This strategic unit allows the entities to collaborate on areas such as product development, parts sourcing and production to provide the best value to customers.

FUSO at a Glance

FUSO is a Daimler Truck brand, offering a range of commercial vehicles from light, medium, and heavy-duty trucks and buses, to industrial engines and connectivity solutions for over 170 markets worldwide. A longstanding landmark in Japan's commercial vehicle landscape, the brand has leveraged Japanese quality and craftsmanship to set benchmarks in efficiency, safety, and comfort for 90 years. FUSO is particularly renowned for its offerings in the light-duty segment. The Canter light-duty truck claims the top market share in various markets around the world. In 2017 the eCanter became the first series produced all-electric light-duty truck in Japan, establishing FUSO as a pioneer in eMobility. FUSO promises customers a "Future Together," a bold claim that continues to drive the brand's contributions to safe and sustainable transport.