Daimler Truck subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Bus and Truck Corp. just launched their next-generation eCanter electric box truck in Hong Kong. It’s the first release of a new-generation Fuso in the Asian market outside of Japan.
Mitsubishi Fuso left the US market in 2020, but before it did the company spent the better part of two decades at or near the top of the American medium-duty box truck market. In Europe, Indonesia, Taiwan, and New Zealand, the company has continued to put together solid sales, and trucks like this latest all-electric eCanter model are one of the reasons why.
The new Fuso is available in 3 versions (S, M, and L, naturally, with different battery packs) and 7 variants, covering GVW ratings between 5 and 8.55 tons. All three are powered by a compact 110/129 kW (approx. 172 peak hp) e-axle capable of pushing the boxy truck to an electronically-controlled top speed of 55 mph.
Mitsubishi 129 kW e-axle
The new Fuso no speed demon, in other words – but the company claims its electric drive train makes the eCanter capable of climbing up 20% grades while fully loaded, and that’s definitely not nothing.
Fuso eCanter variants
In addition to getting the same compact e-axle, each of the new eCanter models will be offered with safety features like Active Sideguard Assist 1.0 and Active Attention Assist to support driver and pedestrian safety in Hong Kong, is one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world. Driver safety ratings, energy management software, and geofencing round out the vehicles’ fleet-friendly software offerings.
Upfitters should be happy, too – a motorized ePTO offers power extraction similar to what’s available in Fuso’s existing diesel trucks. Mounted under the eCanter’s cab, it can drive the same hydraulic pumps and refrigeration compressors as its diesel counterparts without modification, making adoption of the eCanter into existing fleets an easy chore.
To make that adoption even easier, the Hong Kong government has set up a $1.1 billion (HKD) New Energy Transport Fund to subsidize the integration of commercial electric vans and trucks into existing fleets. This latest Fuso is expected to be eligible once those subsidies go into effect.
Electrek’s Take
Electrifying the commercial truck fleet is a key part of decarbonizing city truck fleets – not just here in the US, but around the world. The eCanter seems to be a great product for moving stuff around densely packed city streets, and it’s just too bad we won’t get to see them stateside.
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Calling itself “America’s newest zero-emission commercial truck brand,” ZM Trucks has announced a new, 210,000 square foot facility in Fontana, California that will also serve as the company’s new global headquarters.
Designed by Asian OEM ZO Motors, the ZM brand of all electric commercial trucks is arguably most notable for being the home of ex-Tesla and Fisker exec and DeLorean CEO Joost de Vries, whose personal tagline, “the future was never promised,” has inspired more than a few electrification evangelists in recent years.
“Our new Fontana facility reflects ZO Motors’ commitment to the U.S. market and sustainable innovation,” offered de Vries. “This expansion allows us to deliver zero-emission solutions that lower total cost of ownership and drive long-term value for our customers.”
The majority of those 900 units are expected to be built at the new, 210,000 square foot Fontana facility, with production slated to begin in the first half of this year. Once the facility is fully built out, ZM Trucks claims the plant will be able to churn out up to 100,000 medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles per year.
ZM Trucks will eventually offer a full lineup of EVs in the North American market, from the Class 3 ZM4 cargo van (think of a big eSprinter or Ford Transit 3500 competitor) all the way up to the ZM T70 Class 8 terminal tractor with an absolutely massive 154,000 lb. GVWR (think Orange EV e-triever or Volvo/Mol RoRo).
Tesla will launch unsupervised full self-driving as a paid service in Austin in June.
It is actually in line with what he said during Tesla’s previous earnings call when he claimed Tesla will “launch unsupervised self-driving in California and Texas in Q2.”
Later in today’s call, Musk was asked about California, and he added:
I predict Tesla will launch unsupervised FSD in California later this year, as well as in many other regions of the US.
But the comments about the launch in Austin were more interesting.
First off, he mentioned Austin rather than Texas. Secondly, he said “as a paid service” rather than on the customer fleet, which is what has been promised since 2016.
That would point to Tesla launching a geofenced autonomous ride-hailing service with teleoperation in Austin, which is precisely what Waymo has been offering for years in several cities.
Musk also reiterated that Tesla will not offer unsupervised self-driving until its system is “much safer than human drivers.”
Tesla’s head of FSD, Ashok Elluswamy, previously said that the goal should be for Tesla to achieve miles between necessary disengagement equivalent to human miles driven between collisions, which NHTSA puts at 670,000 miles.
I was watching the stock price as Elon started talking to see how it would respond to what he was saying and when he made the comment about unsupervised self-driving in Austin in June, the stock price jumped:
That’s how you know how dumb the market is regarding self-driving because Elon only downgraded is previous statement.
He confirmed that it will be a geofenced service that is not linked to the customer fleet. He is basically talking about launching a Waymo competitor years behind them.
In the meantime, he is hoping that people forget about his promises that all customer vehicles built since 2016 are capable of full self-driving.
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Despite its small size, Hyundai expects big things from its new low-cost electric SUV. Starting at around $25,000, the Inster EV will be Hyundai’s main growth driver, as it plans to double electric car sales in Europe this year. Hyundai will also launch its first three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9.
After selling over 68,000 EVs in Europe last year, Hyundai’s CFO, Seung Jo Lee, said the automaker is “looking to double that” in 2025.
On the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call, Lee stressed Hyundai “will do our best to meet the emissions targets.” With new models arriving, Hyundai expects things to pick up this year.
The EU will fine automakers if they miss their 2025 targets for reducing CO2 emissions. Europe’s largest automaker, Volkswagen, also faces hefty fines of around $1.5 billion (1.5 billion euros).
According to global data collection agency Dataforce (via Automotive News), Hyundai’s EV sales slipped 15% last year to 68,279 units. The biggest reason behind the fallout was 41% fewer electric car sales in Germany, where many brands saw EV sales slide after the government ended federal incentives.
Electric cars only accounted for 11% of Hyundai’s total sales in Europe last year, down from 15% in 2023. Doubling it would put it at over 20%, about where it would need to be to meet the EU’s CO2 targets.
Can Hyundai’s $25,000 Inster double EV sales in Europe?
Hyundai expects the new Inster EV, which starts at around $25,000 (€23,900) in Germany, to carry the bulk of the growth this year. Hyundai offers the low-cost electric SUV for just $207 (€199) per month with no down payment.
The entry-level model’s 42 kWh battery can provide a WLTP driving range of up to 203 miles (327 km). The long-range version, powered by a 49 kWh battery, can reach 230 miles (370 km).
Hyundai will launch the larger IONIQ 9 in Europe later this year. The IONIQ 9, unveiled at the LA Auto Show last November, is a slightly bigger and more upscale version of Kia’s EV9. At 5,060 mm (199.2″) long, 1,980 mm (78″) wide, and 1,790 mm (70.5″) tall, Hyundai’s SUV is slightly bigger than the EV9.
Although prices and specs will be revealed closer to launch, Hyundai said the IONIQ 9 will have a WLTP range of 385 miles (620 km).
The Inster EV and IONIQ 9 will join the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6, and Kona Electric as Hyundai expands its European lineup. Last year, Hyundai’s top-selling EV in Europe was the Kona Electric (36,526 units), accounting for over half of EV sales. The IONIQ 5 was second (22,830), followed by the IONIQ 6 (8,731).
Later this year, Hyundai is also expected to reveal the smaller IONIQ 3, which is expected to be closely related to Kia’s compact EV3 SUV.
After launching the EV3 in its home market last summer, Kia’s compact electric SUV was the top-selling EV in South Korea through the second half of 2024. In Europe, the EV3 starts at around $38,000 (€36,000).
Hyundai’s luxury Genesis brand confirmed that it will stop building gas-powered vehicles to become a “fully electrified brand” this year. However, that will include hybrids in the coming years. Genesis sold 1,383 EVs in Europe last year.
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