J.B. Hunt Adds Last-Mile eTrucks

J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., Lowell, Ark.  announced it has added five Fuso eCanter all-electric medium-duty box trucks to its private fleet, the first ever in company history.

Fuso, a Daimler truck brand, said that for the 15,995 lb. gvwr/gcwr eCanter trucks, compared to a conventional diesel model, the operating costs can be as much as $2,000 lower for each 12,000 miles driven. On a full charge, the eCanter has a driving range of up to 80 miles and is targeted for inner-city final mile delivery.

The eCanter trucks will be added to J.B. Hunt’s Final Mile Services division and used for home delivery in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., and the greater Houston area.

The powertrain for the trucks is a six Mercedes-Benz liquid-cooled, 360V, 82.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and permanent synchronous e-motor, delivering an output of 185 kW

Click here for more complete specifications.

The vehicle is currently being used in six cities in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. by customers that include the Rhenus and DHL logistics companies in Germany, the Wincanton and DPD logistics companies in the UK, the city of Lisbon in Portugal, and PostNL and the Cornelissen Group transport company in the Netherlands. The grocery retailer SevenEleven and the Yamato logistics company in Japan operate around 30 eCanter models, while customers in the U.S. include UPS, the University of California, and various non-profits, among them the New York Botanical Garden.

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“These trucks may be silent, but they speak loudly of our dedication to creating a more sustainable transportation system,” said John Roberts, president and CEO of J.B. Hunt. “Our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and improve efficiency stretch across the supply chain, from intermodal load conversion to enhancing the aerodynamics and safety of our fleet. This latest addition brings that effort to the last mile and directly to the consumer’s doorstep.”