The Greek cities of Athens and Thessaloniki are popular tourist destinations, and those tourists are about to take a breather – literally! – thanks to almost 90 new electric trucks from Mitsubishi Fuso.
Daimler's Mitsubishi Fuso has made big strides since the launch of its new eCanter medium duty electric truck earlier this year. It is starting to expand to Hong Kong, and is now taking orders from the EU.
“Due to its compact size and large chassis capacity, the Next Generation eCanter electric is ideal for waste disposal companies driving on narrow roads,” said Florian Schulz, Head of Sales, Marketing and Customer Services. “Furthermore, this vehicle has no smoke in the area and is quiet, so that the garbage can be disposed of in the morning in congested areas. This makes it very suitable for municipal applications.”
One of the most important goals that city governments had was to streamline the garbage collection process. To achieve that, the Greek body manufacturer KAOUSSIS has put a lot of development work into the upfit body to silence the hydraulic actions and coupling. The company calls its waste body “the first of its kind,” creating an electric eCanter market advantage while meeting all EU technical regulations for the use of waste vehicles and stationary workers.
The hydraulic system uses proportional, electro-hydraulic directional valves that operate at a maximum pressure of 180 bar. KAOUSSIS claims to be designed specifically for EVs, and is compatible with waste bins between 80 and 390 liters capacity (ie: really big). The lift also has a dynamic weighing system that records the weight of the waste with an accuracy of up to ±0.5 kg (about a pound).
“We have had a very close cooperation with KAOUSSIS for more than 30 years,” said Antonios Evangeloulis, Sales and Marketing Director of the Greek importer and general agent for Daimler truck products and services Star Automotive Hellas. “All the necessary tools, safety measures, technicians, training and certifications are in place and we are able to provide excellent support after the sale of these vehicles. All in all, it was an interesting project that we were able to accomplish together. “
The 40 new electric trucks are expected to be operational by the end of November, with the remainder expected to be delivered by mid-2025.
Electrek's Take
Commercial fleet electrification is an important part of decarbonizing the city's truck fleet – not just here in the US, but around the world. I called the eCanter, “the best product for transporting things on congested city streets,” and the trash is definitely “the stuff.”
Here's hoping we see more “right-size” electrical solutions like this in small towns and urban centers evolving sooner than later.
SOURCE | PHOTOS: Daimler Trucks, with Charged EVs.
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