Mitsubishi Fuso – MFTBC begins electric truck battery swapping demonstration on public roads with Yamato Transport and Ample.

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (Headquarters: Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, President and CEO: Karl Deppen, hereinafter: MFTBC) will launch a battery swap demonstration for electric trucks on public roads in Kyoto, Japan, starting in August 2024.

The demonstration will use MFTBC’s electric light truck “eCanter” equipped with swappable battery modules from Ample (Headquarters: San Francisco, CEO: Khaled Hassounah, President: John de Souza, hereinafter: Ample). The eCanter’s batteries will be swapped at Ample’s battery swapping stations in Kyoto, which were set up in cooperation with ENEOS Holdings Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, President: Tomohide Miyata). Yamato Transport Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo Ward, Tokyo, President: Yutaka Nagao) will test the eCanter with battery swapping function on public roads for pickup and delivery trips in Kyoto.

When the eCanter enters Ample’s fully automated swap station, robots will automatically swap the batteries within the target time of five minutes. This technique was already demonstrated to the public at the Japan Mobility Show 2023; MFTBC is now taking the next step to bring this technology to public roads. By observing these operations, MFTBC and the other participating companies will identify the benefits and challenges of battery swapping and explore the scalability of the technology for future practical use in Japan.

For MFTBC, this joint demonstration is an important step towards MFTBC’s goal of driving the expansion of electric trucks. Since the launch of the eCanter in 2017 as the first mass-produced all-electric vehicle in the LDT segment, MFTBC has taken the lead in decarbonizing transportation. In addition to offering the existing eCanter, which has already covered over 12 million kilometers in customer hands worldwide, MFTBC intends to launch an electric truck with a swappable battery. This would enable MFTBC to offer even more customers the opportunity to switch to carbon-neutral logistics by offering a range of options comparable to those for conventional diesel light trucks.

MFTBC’s new eCanter model, which will be launched in March 2023, features selectable ranges with three battery sizes. There are 28 models available in Japan, suitable for different body styles and applications, and offer customers unique advantages of electric trucks, such as zero emissions, low vibration, comfort and smooth running.

The availability of electric trucks with battery swapping capability would further expand the application possibilities of electric trucks by eliminating range concerns, expanding application possibilities, and significantly reducing vehicle downtime. In addition, by adopting the latest swappable batteries in line with technological development, users will always have access to the most advanced battery technology. This review will also investigate a complete business model for electric trucks with battery swapping capability using the eCanter leasing product “FUSO Green Lease” offered by Daimler Truck Financial Service Asia Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato Ward, Tokyo, President: Hans-Georg von Gumpenberg, hereinafter: DTFSA). “FUSO Green Lease” provides a comprehensive financial solution that includes maintenance, insurance, a unified contract between the parties, operational expertise with truck registration, and a monthly billing mechanism.

In addition, the companies are also working to gain the necessary operational experience to establish fully automated battery swapping stations for electric vehicles as a new energy infrastructure. Ample’s fully automated battery swapping stations are equipped with the ability to swap batteries not only for electric trucks but also for passenger cars. The fully automated swapping stations are a viable solution to reduce customer downtime and spread zero-emission vehicles, which is crucial to building a decarbonized society.

As the need for action to achieve carbon neutrality becomes ever greater, MFTBC remains committed to offering its customers a variety of options for reducing carbon emissions.

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Mitsubishi Fuso – MFTBC begins a demonstration of battery replacement for electric trucks on public roads with Yamato Transport and Ample. Source