Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) announced recently its vision to make all new vehicles for the Japanese market CO2-neutral by the year 2039. In line with this vision, MFTBC has stated its aims to start the series production of fuel-cell trucks by the late 2020s.
Mitsubishi Fuso Preparing to Produce Fuel-Cell Trucks
As an integral part of Daimler AG, MFTBC is committed to the Paris Climate Agreement. In order to address these commitments and growing needs for zero-emission transport, adopting advanced technology is essential. MFTBC believes that truly CO2-neutral transportation will only be realised through either battery-powered electric vehicles or hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Both battery-powered and fuel-cell vehicles have their respective advantages depending on customer use-case, and the two varieties will complement each other to address ever-diversifying transportation needs.
MFTBC is due to accelerate the reduction of CO2 emissions by starting the series production of fuel-cell trucks by the late 2020s. At the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, MFTBC unveiled the Vision F-CELL, a light-duty fuel-cell concept truck. The vehicle has been further elaborated into the concept eCanter F-CELL, a light-duty truck that was presented in Kawasaki. The vehicle leverages energy-dense high-pressure hydrogen, allowing it to be driven up to 300 km and drastically reducing filling time to less than 10 minutes, thereby maximising road time for customers.
Moreover, as part of the Electric Mobility Group, MFTBC also contributes to and benefits from shared resources for vehicle electrification within the larger Daimler Truck network. In addition to the next generation of the eCanter, MFTBC will continue to collaborate within the Electric Mobility Group to roll out electric models for all FUSO truck and bus segments in the future.
“MFTBC is taking a leading role in realising the electrification of commercial vehicles. Our vision is to leverage the Daimler Group’s network and technology in developing advanced e-mobility solutions, fulfilling the goal of CO2-neutral transportation. Through close collaboration with industry players, we aim to deliver CO2 neutral vehicles to customers and continue to offer better solutions to them.” (MFTBC CEO Hartmut Schick).
MFTBC launched the first all-electric light-duty truck in series production in 2017, pushing the transport industry one leap forward in reducing worldwide CO2 emissions. Since the introduction of the eCanter, MFTBC has remained a pioneer in the electrification of commercial vehicles. The eCanter, which has a GVW of 7.5 tons, is ideal for short-distance routes and urban deliveries, as it can travel approximately 100 km on one charge. Over 150 eCanters have been operating in Japan, Europe, and the U.S., while the vehicle has reached a cumulative 1.6 million kilometers in customer hands globally.
