Mitsubishi Fuso, Ample demo battery swapping for electric truck in Japan

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) has commenced an EV truck battery-swapping demonstration on public roads in Kyoto, Japan from this month. The company's Fuso e-Canter light-duty electric truck equipped with US-based Ample's swappable battery modules are being used for the demonstration.

The e-truck's batteries will be swapped at Ample's battery swapping stations currently established in Kyoto City in collaboration with ENEOS. Local fleet operator Yamato Transport will trial the battery-swapping eCanter on public roads for collection and delivery operations in the city. 

According to the company's press statement, the entire battery swapping process is robotized, with a targeted swapping duration of five minutes. The partners will identify the benefits and challenges of battery swapping for large vehicles and investigate the scalability of this technology with future practical use in mind.

The joint demonstration is also an important step for Mitsubishi Fuso's ambition to drive EV truck expansion. The Fuso eCanter, launched in 2017 as the first series-produced all-electric vehicle in the light-duty truck segment, is said to have already accumulated over 12 million kilometers of mileage in customer hands worldwide. 

The latest version of the e-Canter boasts three battery options and 28 variants to accommodate a variety of bodywork and applications, thereby offering Japanese customers the first-hand benefits of electric trucking. 

Further, MFTBC is committed to commercialize a battery-swapping EV truck. This would enable the truck maker to offer even more customers the chance to transition to carbon neutral logistics by providing a range of options comparable to that available for conventional diesel light-duty trucks.

The partners are also collaborating to accumulate operational experience necessary to promote fully automated battery swapping stations for EVs. Ample's fully automated battery swapping stations are fitted with the capability of swapping batteries not only for EV trucks, but also for passenger cars. 

The fully automated swapping stations are a viable solution to reduce downtime for the customer and spread zero-emission vehicles, which is critical to building a decarbonized society, they claim.