Daimler unit’s electric truck designed for NYC deliveries

Daimler Trucks is trying to gain a foothold in the nascent electric- truck market with short- range haulers that can make New York City’s clogged streets cleaner and quieter.

At an event in Manhattan’s fashionable Soho neighborhood, the Daimler AG unit on Thursday unveiled the new Fuso eCanter, an electric lightduty truck produced under its Mitsubishi Fuso brand. The latest version has a range of 60 to 80 miles between charges, depending on body, load and usage, Marc Llistosella, chief executive of Daimler subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp., said in remarks at the event.

Daimler is supplying a fleet to several New York City nonprofits and has signed United Parcel Service Inc. as its first commercial customer in the U. S., the company said in a statement. The New York trucks are seen as helping Mayor Bill de Blasio inch toward his lofty emissions goals.

Daimler is throwing its hat into an increasingly crowded ring. Diesel- engine maker Cummins Inc. beat Tesla Inc. to the punch last month with a fully electric concept “urban hauler,” which has a projected range of about 100 miles. Tesla plans to unveil an electric- powered semi next month, which analysts have speculated may also have autonomous features, and Paccar Inc. and Navistar International Corp. are working on alternative fuel strategies and driver- assistance systems to push forward the technology of trucking.

“Our new Fuso eCanter now addresses the increasing global demand for products to meet and exceed high CO2 emission standards,” Llistosella said in the statement. “It offers an attractive and costeffective alternative to combustion engines and makes electric trucks key to the future of inner city distribution.”