Fuso eCanter Next Generation 2024 Review

Recently, it seems like every truck or van I’ve jumped in for a road test is electric. Most of the big OEMs have, or will soon have, electric models in their ranges. It’s the way of the transport world at the moment, and Fuso has had the jump on them with the eCanter being first launched here in 2021.

But this new generation of eCanter is not just an update, it is a significant step forward in many ways. Not the least of these is the introduction of an eAxle to the entire range. This means that there is no longer a prop shaft, but an integrated electric motor at the rear of the truck driving half-shafts to the wheels.

This leaves all the area between the chassis rails for batteries, and with this model Fuso will be offering three battery packs giving three different ranges which are basically 100km, 200km and 300km.

In the 14-model range there will also be two cabs and four different weight ratings as well as the option of six wheelbases.

On our test drive, we had two eCanters both with the 3400mm medium wheelbase and six-tonne GVM. One of the trucks was a Wide Cab loaded to 5160kg and the was City Cab tipping the scales at 5480kg.

The quoted payload for our eCanters was 2500kg with the tray.

Our mid-wheelbase eCanters were fitted with two lithium ion phosphate (LFP) battery packs with a combined capacity of 83kWh.

The battery packs on the eCanters are thermally controlled with an in-battery liquid thermal control system to ensure the batteries operate at the most efficient temperature in all conditions. This is quite important in battery-electric vehicles and it’s certainly worth looking into if you’re thinking about buying an electric truck.

With the two-battery-pack version, range is quoted as 200 kilometres but with our test drive around Melbourne doing the kind of driving a delivery driver would do, and not spending heaps of time on the freeways, I found that the range quoted was somewhat conservative. From our calculations, I reckon you’d do better than the 200km.

Charging the eCanter can be done with either a DC charger or using an AC charger. With a 100kW DC charger, it would take approximately one hour for a full charge or 45 minutes to go from five per cent to 90 per cent. Or, if you were using three-phase AC, it’d take about 4.9 hours to charge.

The inside of the eCanter has come in for a bit of freshen-up with this model and there are even a few nice styling cues to be seen, which is a bit rare for a light-duty truck.

The seats have been upgraded with some models getting Isri suspension seats, and even in those without the suspension feature, the fixed seats are also Isris.

The dash is fully digital with plenty of driver info including remaining range in kilometres and a big charge gauge showing whether you’re discharging or putting charge back into the battery via the regenerative braking.

Speaking of the regen braking, it is controlled by the transmission shifter by flicking it forward or rearwards. It is a three-stage braking system with anther slot for coasting. Push the stick forward and it increases the braking effort as well as the regeneration; pull it back and it lessens the effort. If you pull it back to zero, then it will coast with no retardation. Very simple.

Where it falls down a bit is the inclusion of a ‘dummy’ ignition key for priming the system and getting it ready for starting. The driver turns the ‘key’ to where a starting position would be on a diesel truck then waits for the Ready light to stop flashing, and then the truck is right to shift into D and drive off. It’s a small thing, but I think Fuso could have done a better job with perhaps a push-button to start the truck.

Around the cab, there are plenty of storage spots for all your gear and two fold-out drink holders. And it’d be remiss of me not to mention the ash trays in the doors.

There are two USB-C slots near the driver’s seat and a regular USB in the head unit.

The restyling of the interior is a good job overall and it is a big improvement over the bland interiors that we have had to put up with in the past.

As with all Daimler Truck products, the Fuso eCanter comes with a full suite of safety features.

The active systems are called Advanced Brake Assist 5, which has pedestrian detection via a radar and camera, Advanced Emergency Braking, and Side Guard Assist, which detects cyclists, pedestrians and other vehicles when making a left-hand turn.

Other safety features include stability control, lane departure warning, hill start assist and high-voltage shut-off crash sensors.

Also included is a pedestrian alert feature that sounds when the truck is doing less than 20km/h. It’s designed to alert pedestrians of the presence of the truck if they not looking or, as often seems to be the case these days, glued to their phone.

Once you get used to them, electric trucks are easy to drive. In fact, I reckon they’re easier than a diesel truck – or does it seem that way because they’re so quiet? Suffice to say that they are easy.

The things you need to get used to are the instant power and the regen braking. The instant power means that can win the traffic-light drags in most cases – even with a load on. But you don’t need to stomp on the gas (or is that the electricity?) all the time; simply easing down the accelerator will keep you up with the traffic and not use up too much power.

Similarly, if you use the regen braking rather than the service brakes, you’ll pump energy back into the system and extend your range. In fact, if drive a bit ahead of yourself and anticipate what’s happening, you can virtually drive one-footed. I found this to be the case for much of the time, just easing up on the traffic using the regen braking and then using the service brakes right at the end, if at all.

So the eCanter is quiet and smooth, but it’s also comfortable. The front suspension is independent, and the rear is traditional leaf and with our load on, it was really very comfortable for a small truck – especially the Wide Cab with the suspension seat.

And the steering is pretty good too. It’s an electric/hydraulic setup that is very direct (for a truck) and has a good amount of feel to it. The combination of the good steering and the independent front-end make the eCanter a very well-mannered truck on the road.

We were running two-up on the day of our test and the City Cab was considerably tighter than the Wide Cab. The Wide Cab is a genuine three-seater whereas the City Cab is a two. The Wide Cab also has a pull-down backrest for the middle seat, making a little work station between the seats which could be handy.

Vision from both is great with nice big wing mirrors and a great view forward and to the sides. Overall, it’s a comfortable and pleasant work environment.

So is this the future of urban trucking? Well, partially. Electric trucks are not going to take over the world, at least not for a very long time, but they will be part of the future trucking landscape. The diesel engine isn’t going to vanish in the near future, but more likely trucks like the eCanter will form part of fleets that want to spread the environmental message and show their sustainable side.

Whether they slowly take over from diesel trucks as automatics slowly took over from manuals remains to be seen. But the bottom line is that if you want or need to be in a small battery-electric truck, the eCanter is currently (no pun intended) the pick of the bunch.

2024 Fuso eCanter Next Generation
Drive system: eAxle with integrated liquid-cooled motor and reduction gearbox
Output: 110kW and 430Nm
Batteries: Two lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) battery packs
Battery Capacity: 83kWh
Range: 200km
GVM: 6000kg
Payload: 2500kg (incl. body)
Wheelbase: 3400mm