Schenker AG added two Fuso eCanter into its fleet network in Finland, and is operating of the 7.5-ton battery electric trucks every day in one of the coldest regions in Europe. One is running routes in Kuusame, Finland, where snow is often several meters deep, and temperatures commonly dip below -20°C; the other is in Oulu, about 120 miles southeast. Daimler tells us these trucks have been in service with DB Schenker’s fleets since the beginning of the year.
“I really wanted us to use the eCanter here and disprove the preconception that you can’t do anything with an electric truck in these weather conditions,” said Raino Mourujärvi, head of terminal area at DB Schenker Northern Finland. Mourujärvi is the person responsible for all buildings, vehicles and personnel for land transportation in the north of Finland.
In recent weeks, Sami Määtä, terminal manager at a DB Schenker hub in Kuusamo and driver of the eCanter, has already logged more than 750 miles with the eCanter while making deliveries to customers, according to Daimler. “The vehicle starts flawlessly every day. With the low temperatures prevailing in winter, people in Kuusamo are used to different things from diesel vehicles from time to time,” says Määttä.
“I’ve never been stranded with an empty battery. I plan my routes and those of our other vehicles accordingly,” adds Määttä, who says he’s become accustomed to the eCanter’s range in the cold weather.
“Together with our customers, we also want to play a pioneering role in sustainable logistics in Finland. To reduce CO2 emissions, such an investment in electric transportation is essential for us. In Finland, parcel transportation accounts for a large proportion of pick-up and delivery traffic,” says Harald Knaapinen, head of land transport, Finland, at DB Schenker. “The current eCanter is the ideal vehicle for this application. And the deployment of the two vehicles in northern Finland with its extreme weather conditions is a unique opportunity for us, basically an ultimate test.”
Including the two newest additions in Finland, DB Schenker now has 52 Fuso eCanter BEV trucks in operation throughout Germany, France and other European countries
