Mitsubishi Fuso News at the NTEA Work Truck Show

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Fuso Adds Gasoline V-8 to FE Series Cabovers

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  March 15, 2017

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America premiered a new prototype V-8 gasoline powertrain for the company’s FE Series medium-duty cabovers at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.

The engine is a 6-liter Vortec Series motor from GM coupled to an Allison 1000 six-speed automatic transmission and it will be available on the FE130, FE160 and FE180 models. It will be the only gas truck in its class with Power Take Off capabilities for auxiliary equipment, according to a company representative.

“Fuso has put together this exclusive engine/transmission package to provide unmatched power and versatility for our customers, and the Class 5 FE180 will offer the largest payload available in a gas-powered medium-duty truck," said Jecka Glasman, Fuso's president and CEO.

A trial run of trucks equipped with the new engine will be available in the fourth quarter of 2017.

The V8 FE Series trucks will be the first Fuso vehicles assembled in the U.S. at the Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation’s facility in South Carolina. The engines and transmissions will be built in the U.S. but the chassis, cabs, and axles will come from Europe and Japan.

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Mitsubishi Fuso Brings Electric eCanter to U.S.

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  March 15, 2017

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck of America has introduced the eCanter battery-powered Class 4 truck, offering the first 50 units to a select group of customers by the end of the year, the company announced at the NTEA Work Truck Show in Indianapolis.

The electric trucks will be made available in the U.S., Europe, and Japan as part of a two-year lease, allowing companies time to use the vehicle before trading up to the next generation. The company says the trucks will cost 15-20% more than comparable diesel models.

The Class 4 truck has a 100-mile range, 15,995-pound Gross Vehicle Weight rating, and a 9,380-pound payload capacity. The batteries can be quick-charged within an hour at a DC charging station or over the course of eight hours using a 230-volt outlet. The vehicle will also have flexible battery options to allow customers that need less range than 100 miles to opt for fewer batteries and increase payload capacity.

“We believe the eCanter will help us chart the future of medium-duty trucking in urban environments," said Jecka Glasman, Fuso president and CEO. "It delivers up to a 100-mile range, with zero emissions and zero noise pollution — what we call positive energy. We’ve had preliminary conversations with multiple customers and they are enthusiastic about the possibilities this new truck represents.”

The electric motor generates 173 horsepower and 494 lb.-ft. of torque - more torque than the company’s V10 gasoline motor in its Class 6 truck, according to Mitsubishi Fuso. The motor is powered by six batteries, which the company says are preconditioned during charging to ensure the range stays consistent in cold and hot weather. The drivetrain is fitted to a standard 151.6-inch cab chassis that is  33.5 inches wide - similar to the company’s traditional diesel cabovers. This allows the vehicle to be fitted with the same body attachments as some current models - a plus for upfitters.

The vehicle features two-stage electric regenerative braking system, electric HVAC, and a high-capacity Power Take Off for applications that need it.

The Fuso eCanter was originally shown off last year by Daimler Trucks Asia at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover, Germany, aimed at urban delivery in the Southern California and New York City markets.

"Better fuel economy is one aspect, but our customers are telling us how important it is to have a quiet truck in urban environments, said William Lyons, vice president of sales operations. "It is a big concern on quality of life in cities today. This truck addresses that."

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Fuso unveils new gas-powered cabover, all-electric eCanter truck

Fleet Owner  /  March 15, 2017

Mitsubishi Fuso announced it is developing a new gasoline powertrain for its FE Series medium-duty cabover trucks and launched its new electric truck, the eCanter, here at the 2017 NTEA Work Truck Show.

According to the company Fuso’s FE130, FE160 and FE180 will be powered by a PSI-GMPT Vortec Series 6-liter V8 engine, coupled with an Allison 6-speed automatic transmission. The new V8 engine models will be the first Fuso vehicles to be assembled in the U.S., noted Jecka Glasman, Fuso’s president and CEO.

The gas truck will be offered in Class 3 and 4, and as the industry’s only Class 5 gas-powered model, the company stated. Customer trials for the new FE Series gas trucks are scheduled to begin in fourth quarter 2017, with full market launch to follow in 2018 as 2019 model year.

“While the new VortecV8 represents a robust new powertrain for us, we are happy to report that we have adapted these drivetrains to our standard cab-chassis configurations – so customers and upfitters will find the same familiar 33.5-in. wide frame, same body attachment capability, wheelbases, cab-to-axle dimensions, and box sizes as they’ve enjoyed with our low-cost-of-ownership turbocharged diesel cabovers,” according to Otto Schmid, Fuso’s director of product management.

All-electric eCanter

During Fuso’s press conference on Wednesday, Glasman announced Fuso’s eCanter will be available for a soft launch by the end of the year in North America.

The eCanter is a 100% plug-in electric Class 4 work truck with a 15,995-lb. GVWR and a payload capacity of roughly 9,380 lbs. It ranges up to 100 miles, has a one-hour quick charge capability and a standard eight-hour overnight full charge.

“All current population studies note that people are moving back to the cities,” Glasman explained. “It is going to be busy and crowded, but goods still need to be delivered. What better way to deliver goods than with a truck with zero emissions and zero noise pollution.”

Asked whether low fuel prices would influence the company’s production of electric trucks, Schmid said: “In the cities we have complaints about noise and pollution so it doesn’t matter if fuel prices are higher or lower.”

Going forward, Glassman added that Fuso’s parent company, Daimler Trucks Asia, has invested in electrification, which she explained will drive most of future production.

Telogis telematics, collision avoidance

Fuso also announced it has partnered with Telogis, a Verizon Company, to install Telogis telematics systems as a standard on all medium-duty, diesel cabovers. Telogis telematics capabilities will be integrated on all of Fuso’s future Class 3 through 5 turbocharged diesel commercial trucks.

Fuso has also partnered with Mobileye to integrate its collision avoidance systems in their trucks.

“We learned that safety is one of the biggest concerns that our fleet customers have,” Glasman explained. “We put the Mobileye system in fleet trucks for a month in silent mode then put them in after a month with drivers and we saw harsh braking and other risky behaviors reduced by 50% after a month of having the system in trucks.”

Glasman added the Telogis system will provide fleet operators with improved safety, better logistics and more efficient operations.