Transformed FUSO E-canter on trial with Fulton Hogan
There has been a lot of interest in the Mitsubishi Fuso E-canter of late, but it is in the deep south where things are really cranking along in the adoption of electric light trucks.
Nine of the E-canters have found their way to Christchurch in one way or another, and there has been a lot of collaboration between Christchurch City Council, EECA and the
Low Emission Transport fund, TR Group and a number of private sector businesses to electrify the Garden City’s transport requirements.
Possibly the most versatile of the South Island E-canters is the one being evaluated by roading contractor Fulton Hogan.
Fulton Hogan have very specific requirements for its light duty truck fleet, so there is more to this E-canter than a brilliant zero-emission solution.
As a fit-for-purpose vehicle with zero emissions in mind, Fulton Hogan had plenty of specific features to add to FUSO’S all electric truck and to put it all together, the Auckland-based team at Auto Transform were called in to make the truck move smarter.
While the truck itself is all electric, Fulton Hogan specified its auxiliary equipment had to be too, which includes an onboard concrete mixer, plate compactor, Hiab and tipping function.
It sounded like a daunting project, but Auto Transform is no stranger to sorting out electric trucks. Indeed, the company developed
Fulton Hogan’s first electric truck back in 2020, which today is in use as part of Dunedin City Council’s maintenance contract.
Fulton Hogan Canterbury’s Civil Construction divisional manager, Carrick Bensemann says there will be plenty to learn from the opportunities and limitations of the truck.
“We’re trying out quite a lot of technology, and I know many others are as interested as we are in the results,” Carrick says.
Fulton Hogan’s latest E-canter truck will be used on Christchurch City Council maintenance projects.
Its performance will be assessed by EROAD and the data used in carbon reduction calculations and in assessing further such sustainable investments.