Dive Brief:
- Penske Truck Leasing is adding FUSO eCanter medium-duty trucks to its electric fleet. The first four of these limited-production vehicles will be introduced in the California market, according to a company press release.
- The vehicle has an initial estimated range of up to 80 miles and a fast-charging option. FUSO is the first company to commercialize a series-produced all-electric work truck, according to the release.
- FUSO, which is owned by Daimler A.G., already has dealerships with parts, service and warranty networks, which, according to Penske, is a major distinction.
Dive Insight:
The eCanter is not Penske Truck Leasing’s first venture into electric vehicles. It has already added 10 each of the Freightliner eM2 and the eCascadia models from Daimler, A.G., a sister organization of FUSO.
California is the perfect place to roll out its latest vehicles. "California’s freight system is the single largest contributor of diesel particulate matter (soot) and smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NO) emissions in the state, pollutants that are linked to high rates of respiratory illness. Freight also accounts for about 10% of California’s total global warming pollution," according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
Penske Truck Leasing and Penske Logistics participate in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) SmartWay Transport partnership as affiliate, carrier and logistics partners. SmartWay is a collaboration between the EPA and the freight sector designed to improve fuel efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions and improve energy security.
Penske Truck Leasing joined the program in 2008. The company helps customers spec and operate their vehicles to ensure they are demonstrating the performance improvements inherent to the SmartWay partnership, and assists customers in completing their annual models detailing their performance for the prior year.
"We're pleased to begin introducing the eCanter into our fleet," Brian Hard, president and CEO of Penske Truck Leasing, said in a statement. "The eCanter is a viable option for fleets seeking to reduce tailpipe emissions and noise pollution in urban delivery settings."
