Electric truck first for NZ
Genesis’ new Fuso eCanter is the first series-produced fully electric truck to hit Kiwi roads and the company says it is the first in the southern hemisphere to introduce one into its fleet.
The energy company says the latest addition to its truck fleet demonstrates its commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and deliver on its responsibilities as a member of The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative.
Cameron Jardine, general manager of LPG and small and medium enterprises, says the electric truck is a major step towards Genesis increasing the proportion of electric or hybrid vehicles in its 110-strong truck fleet. The company has almost completed converting its light-vehicle fleet from petrol and diesel-powered models.
“Transport contributes about 21 per cent of New Zealand’s gross domestic GHGs, but until now there have been few options to reduce emissions from the heavy-truck fleet,” says Jardine.
Genesis has been working with partners Fuso NZ, Keith Andrews Trucks and the TR Group to bring the eCanter into service on Auckland’s streets.
“As this is the first series-produced fully electric truck to hit New Zealand roads, we have a lot to learn about how to incorporate EVs into our fleet and what other adjustments we have to make to get the best out of this technology,” says Jardine.
The new electric truck is just one of a range of options Genesis has introduced to reduce its transport emissions.
“Our partnership with Zilch, the electric car-sharing service, has allowed us to remove the last of the petrol and diesel vehicles from our passenger fleet,” says Jardine.
“Our new Auckland headquarters has no staff car parks, with the company encouraging all staff to use shared transport, public transport and active transport wherever possible.”
Genesis’ eCanter is manufactured by locally-owned family business Fuso NZ. The power company has worked with heavy-truck rental specialist TR Group and Fuso’s largest domestic dealer, Keith Andrews Trucks, to bring it into service.
An 81kWh lithium-ion, liquid-cooled battery pack powers its electric motor for a range of 100-150km on a single charge.
A standard CCS2 charging plug and direct-current charging means the battery takes less than one hour to recharge up to 80 per cent and 80 minutes to fully recharge. An alternating current charge cable wallows a full charge overnight using off-peak power.
Fuso says maintenance costs are halved and a full recharge from 20 per cent costs $10 based on an off-peak residential rate of 15 cents per kWh.
