A few years ago, the concept of having a fully-electric delivery truck may have been the stuff of science fiction. Now, it is a reality as Mitsubishi Fuso has come up with the eCanter. First launched about a year ago during the Frankfurt Commercial Vehicles Show, the eCanter is now available in the US after renowned delivery company UPS has taken delivery of several units.

With it, the all-new eCanter signifies both Mitsubishi Fuso's and UPS' commitment to transform their fleet of trucks in being more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

“At UPS, we constantly evaluate and deploy advanced technologies that enable sustainable, innovative solutions for our fleet. Electric trucks make our fleet both cleaner and quieter, adding to our already more than 8,500 alternative drivetrain vehicles in service today. We have a long-standing global relationship with Daimler, and we welcome the opportunity to trial the Fuso eCanter as UPS continues to realize thebenefits of electric trucks,” said Carlton Rose, president of Global Fleet Maintenance and Engineering at UPS.

UPS will take delivery of a total of three eCanters while five more will be given to non-profit organizations based in New York. All eight trucks are powered by a permanent synchronus electric motor that generates 251 PS and 380 Nm of torque. It gets six high-voltage lithium ion battery packs that provide 420 V and 13.8 kWh of power each. It has a maximum range of 100 km and a load capacity of up to three and a half tons.

The eCanter can be recharged to 80-percent capacity in just an hour via a quick charging station. However, on a standard charging box, the eCanter can be fully charged to 100-percent in seven hours.

Within the next two years, Mitsubishi Fuso plans on delivering 500 units of the eCanter to markets around the world including the US, Europe and Japan. Large scale production is expected to begin sometime in 2019 where the eCanter may get several powertrain upgrades for better range and power.

For now, the eCanter is being produced at the company's Tramagal, Portgual factroy. All eCanter units produced here will be for the European and US market.