The FUSO eCanter will be used in the first test deployment this winter in Japan, conducted together by US-based startup Ample Inc. and MFTBC.
MFTBC Introduces Battery Swapping Technology to Shorten Truck Downtime
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) announced recently that it signed an agreement with Ample Inc to begin a collaboration on a pilot project on battery swapping technology for electric trucks in Japan.
In March 2023, MFTBC launched the new model of its electric light-duty truck ‘eCanter’, which satisfies customers’ needs for urban transportation by providing a range from 99km to 324km. Looking to the future, MFTBC says it is pushing further and aims to investigate possible solutions to expand the scope of eCanter, such as for those requiring a longer driving range.
MFTBC and Ample would collaborate to pair MFTBC e-vehicle solutions with Ample’s Modular Battery Swapping technology with an initial deployment based on the latest model of the all-electric FUSO eCanter for the Japanese market. The two companies would instal an eCanter with modular batteries that could automatically be exchanged at Ample battery swapping stations in a target time of five minutes. The test deployment would serve as an important resource in evaluating customer experience, scalability and potential for commercialisation in the domestic market. The vehicle’s trial on public roads is scheduled for this winter in Japan.
MFTBC is seen as a frontrunner in e-mobility and related ecosystems, having introduced the eCanter, Japan’s first series-produced electric light-duty truck, as early as 2017. Sales of the newly remodelled eCanter started in March 2023, pushing MFTBC one step closer to its ambition of providing a completely carbon neutral product portfolio in Japan by 2039. With its role in the upcoming trials with Ample, the eCanter is expected to contribute to further advancements in sustainable transport.
Ample has developed an innovative battery swapping solution that is faster and more cost-effective for users than existing charging solutions. Ample provides energy delivery as a service and has focused on last-mile delivery, ride hailing and car sharing use. With Ample’s patented technology, the process of exchanging eCanter battery modules inside a battery swapping station could take as little as five minutes, allowing both companies to offer a mobility solution that meets the needs of middle and last-mile delivery use.
