London, UK: Food wholesaler Bidfood is running a battery-powered 7.5 tonne Fuso E-Canter from its Battersea depot serving central London with 60-70km daily trips.
The new truck marks the start of efforts to gain experience of electric vehicle operation.
The battery powered Canter is already in service in a variety of applications in the UK but Bidfood’s is the first to be fitted with a temperature-controlled body.
The twin compartment body is by Gray & Adams and cooled by a Frigoblock eutectic fridge. While the E-Canter’s main drive batteries are recharged, so is the eutectic system, which requires no battery power during operation.
Bidfood took delivery of the Canter in 2020 but plans to put it to work were curtailed by the onset of Covid-19, associated lockdowns, and other ‘fall out’ from the pandemic.
Jon Stansfield, Bidfood’s Battersea depot manager, said: “Like all transport operators working in London we face the reality of emissions-based restrictions.
“These are only going to get stricter, with similar regimes becoming more widespread throughout the country.
“Battery technology is still in its infancy and obviously an electric vehicle cannot compete with a diesel-engined truck in terms of range, especially when fitted with a heavy fridge body.
“The E-Canter offers other attributes, though. Of course, from a business perspective it’s important that we ‘future-proof’ our operation against further regulations. There is also a moral dimension to this issue – the fact that electric vehicles like the E-Canter are so much cleaner and quieter means they can only benefit the wider community, and not just our company and customers.”
“We were keen to trial an electric truck and get a true picture of how it would fit our requirements. The E-Canter was an obvious choice – it’s already well proven in operation and is backed by a major manufacturer in Mercedes-Benz Trucks.
“Given its environmental credentials, the E-Canter has the potential to make an important contribution to Bidfood’s overall sustainability strategy.”
The E-Canter’s electric drivetrain employs six 13.8kWh lithium-ion batteries with a total power output of 82.8kWh (66kWh usable). The motor delivers 129kW (180 hp) via a single-gear transmission in the rear axle. A single charge gives the truck an effective operating range of more than 62 miles (100 km).
Last September Bidfood became the first UK food wholesaler to sign up to a net-zero carbon goal with the Science-Based Targets initiative, a partnership of international climate leaders including the Carbon Disclosure Project, the United Nations and World Wide Fund for Nature.
Bidfood has committed to a target date of 2045 and will be focusing on emissions not only its own operations, but also working with customers and suppliers to explore ways of reducing overall carbon footprints.
