Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC; headquarters: Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President and CEO: Karl Deppen), is pleased to announce that the official FUSO distributor of Indonesia, PT Krama Yudha Tiga Berlian Motors (hereafter “KTB”) will conduct customer trials of the all-electric light-duty eCanter truck in Bali, Indonesia starting August 2022. This will be the first time that the eCanter truck will be tested in day-to-day operations in the FUSO brand’s largest overseas market. The announcement was made as part of a collaborative press conference for the “EV Smart Mobility – Joint Project,” organized by five participating Japanese automotive brands in Nusa Dua, Bali on July 27, 2022.
To fulfill its 2015 commitment of reducing CO2 emissions or greenhouse gas emissions emissions by 29% to the 2030 business-as-usual (BAU) scenario, the Indonesian government has launched various policies to support the introduction of electric vehicles. Sustainability is also positioned as one of the major pillars of Indonesia’s presidential term for the G20 conferences. With the government’s recent focus on sustainability initiatives, logistics providers in Indonesia have also been exploring means integrating electric vehicles into their fleets. KTB and MFTBC’s customer trials of the eCanter are therefore in support of the country’s larger transition toward reduced emissions in transport. The electric truck will be used to distribute raw materials for a factory and deliver mail on routes in the Denpasar area of Bali, allowing for KTB and MFTBC to gain valuable insight into customer needs and potential challenges during this exploratory phase.
These plans for trialing the eCanter in Indonesia were presented alongside FUSO brand’s participation in the “EV Smart Mobility – Joint Project”. Under this Joint Project, five official distributors of Japanese automotive brands will contribute their flagship electric vehicles to study and demonstrate the future possibilities of EV ecosystems in Indonesia. While commercial vehicles such as the FUSO eCanter will be run to support logistics and business operations, passenger cars will be used to provide environmentally friendly tourist transportation. With these pilot activities, the five automotive brands intend to take away key learnings that may aid in the popularization of electric vehicles as well as the development of related infrastructure.
For several years, the eCanter truck has already been generating interest in Indonesia through exhibitions, such as its display at the major auto shows Gaikindo Indonesia International Commercial Vehicle Expo (GIICOMVEC) 2020 and Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) 2017. The upcoming customer trials in Bali, however, represent a further step in MFTBC’s consideration of additional international markets for the pioneering electric vehicle.
FUSO commercial vehicles have been working alongside Indonesian businesses for over 50 years as the market-leading brand. In particular, the light-duty diesel truck has been a local best seller throughout the past decades. As the Indonesian transport industry readies itself for a leap into emobility, MFTBC and KTB are together committed to supporting these ambitions. Alongside its customers, the companies aim to shape the future of transportation in one of the world’s most rapidly growing economies.
SOURCE: Fuso
