Daimler beats Tesla to all-electric heavy duty truck launch

Even as the ongoing Tokyo Motor Show is abuzz with electric vehicles on four and two wheels, the commercial vehicle segment is not shying away from moving towards cleaner transportation needs. While Tesla may have taken the lead with its passenger vehicle offerings, Daimler Trucks has beaten the pioneering American electric passenger vehicle manufacturer to the launch of an all-electric heavy duty truck.

Tesla, as is known, has delayed the launch of its all-electric  truck. The original official unveiling of the Tesla truck, which will have a range of 320-480 kilometres, was to have been on October 26 but that has been advanced to November 16, following production difficulties with the much-in-demand Model 3 sedan.

Yesterday, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), part of Daimler Trucks yesterday launched its first all-electric heavy duty truck the ‘Vision One’ and announced its plan to electrify its complete range of trucks and buses in the coming years.

Yesterday, at the Tokyo Motor Show, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), part of Daimler Trucks, announced it will electrify its complete range of trucks and buses in upcoming years. MFTBC unveiled the E-Fuso to become the first OEM to launch a product brand exclusively dedicated to electric mobility of trucks and buses, and also celebrated the world-premiere of its all-electric heavy-duty truck concept with a range of up to 350 kilometres. The truck – named E-Fuso Vision One – marks the top end of the electrification path of the company’s portfolio in the upcoming years. This initiative will be backed by access to Daimler know-how in the fields of battery and charging technology.

Marc Llistosella, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and Head of Daimler Trucks Asia, said: “Our E-Fuso Vision One is an outlook on a feasible all-electric heavy-duty truck. It underlines our commitment to electrify our complete product range. Fuso has been a pioneer in the electrification of trucks for many years. A month ago we launched our eCanter, the first serial-produced, all-electric light duty truck. In the future, all our electrified vehicles will run under the name of E-Fuso, our new product brand dedicated exclusively to electric trucks and buses.”

Llistosella added, “With the eCanter, we have proven electric trucks are feasible for commercialisation. Today, our eCanter saves up to 1,000 euros in running costs per 10,000km. And with the rapidly evolving battery technology, we will continue to develop electric trucks and buses that will have a positive environmental and economic impact on society.”

E-Fuso Vision One: green truck
The E-Fuso Vision One is an all-electric heavy-duty truck concept, has a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of about 23 tonnes and carries a payload of approximately 11 tonnes, only two tonnes less than its diesel counterpart. It can be fitted with batteries up to 300 kilowatt hours, thus enabling a range of up to 350km on a single charge.

According to Daimler Trucks, while the electrification of long-haul trucks will still need considerable time, a potential application for the Vision One heavy-duty truck is regional intra-city distribution. Given that growing customer interest, infrastructure development and regulatory efforts are likely to spur the electrification of road transport, a possible market entry for the series version of the E-Fuso Vision One could be feasible within four years in mature markets like Japan or Europe, says the company.