Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) has just announced that it has partnered up with the ORIX corporation to offer electric trucks and environmentally-friendly electricity options for the logistics industry.
Through this partnership, MFTBC will sell its light-duty truck the eCanter and will pair it with the eco-friendly electricity-generating solutions that ORIX has to offer. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the decarbonization of the logistics industry by supporting customers in their efforts to tackle environmental issues. The trial for this tie-up will begin in select regions with sales set to branch out to other areas from 2022 onwards.
The partnership also aims to establish an “e-Mobility ecosystem” which is a comprehensive portfolio of products and services that are designed to support electrified mobility solutions. Through this new system, it will in turn encourage the social shift to sustainable transportation. The collaboration with ORIX on electricity will be the foundation on which electric trucks will be included in this new ecosystem.
The eCanter was chosen as the trial model for this new platform as it is the first mass-produced electric light-duty truck in Japan according to Mitsubishi that has zero C02 emissions while driving. While the eCanter has similar looks to the regular Fuso Canter model, it has been thoroughly upgraded to fit an electric vehicle platform that is clean but still retains the ability to carry heavy loads and act like a normal commercial vehicle. Since its launch in 2017, MFTBC has already delivered over 300 units of the truck worldwide as it continues to receive strong interest from customers all over the world.
By combining the strengths of both companies to support sustainable mobility through decarbonization efforts, it is hoped that this will contribute to the realization of a carbon-neutral society. As the trucking industry is slowly adopting cleaner technology, this new partnership, if proven to be successful, could lead to a cleaner and greener environment as well as a better logistics industry.
