Electric truck's VTA introduction draws show of bipartisan support
The all-electric Fuso eCanter was in the spotlight at this week’s Victorian Transport Association (VTA) conference ahead of its Australian launch.
The pioneering truck, which produces zero local emissions and next to no noise, drew the attention of federal assistant minister for freight transport Scott Buchholz, shadow road safety assistant minister senator Glenn Sterle, and National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) CEO Sal Petroccitto.
Posing next to the vehicle, which will become the first integrated OEM all-electric truck available in Australia when it goes on sale next week, all three expressed a desire to drive the eCanter.
Petroccitto says the eCanter was representative of the type of innovation that the national regulator would like to see on Australian roads.
“The eCanter is just the kind of truck that the NHVR supports as part of the Vehicle Safety and Environmental Uptake Plan, which was released last year,” he says.
“There is a clear benefit in having electric drive for commercial vehicles for delivery, waste collection and buses in our big cities.”
How the eCanter is ready to roll in Australia, here
The eCanter, like all Canter models, comes standard with advanced emergency braking system, lane departure warning system and electronic stability control, active safety systems that the NHVR is determined to help get into more trucks on Australian roads, Petroccitto adds.
Buchholz says he is reassured when heavy vehicle manufacturers deliver “new, safer systems”, and would like to see the eCanter in action.
“In infrastructure, technology, safety and innovation, our Government is making the necessary investments to make the road transport sector more productive, profitable and safer,” Buchholz says.
“To achieve that, we need manufacturers to invest in technical innovation to help drive efficiency and raise safety for our hard working truck drivers and other road users,” he adds.
The NHVR’s Vehicle SETUP Plan was developed following a survey of manufacturers in 2018, and is designed to meet the targets set out in the federal government’s National Road Safety Action Plan 2018-2020.