A subsidiary of one of Australia’s largest truck hire companies is offering its customers the chance to sample zero emission trucks with an economical and efficient new electric truck rental option .
Southern Cross Electric Vehicles, a subsidiary of the Southern Cross Truck Rentals Group has announced it is offering customers the chance of long-term rental of a fully-electric Fuso eCanter truck from $3200 per month, in a package that it says includes full maintenance, charging capability and ongoing support.
The Southern Cross Truck Rentals group, says it is committed to making sustainable trucking more accessible than ever before.
“We’ve seen an increase in our customer base seeking EV vehicles to address EV fleet gaps, EV replacement vehicles and EV rental trial options,” said Southern Cross Truck Rentals executive group general manager, Owen Sommerville.
“As a business we are proud to build the solutions our customers are asking for, enabling them to be first to market with EV without having to change their business model,” he said.
Southern Cross says that the Fuso eCanter is a proven electric truck with advanced safety features that is backed by the strong Australian Daimler Truck dealership network.
SCEV says it will offer it with various bodies including pantechs, trays and tautliners, giving customers a range of options to suit their needs. These eCanters are well set up for dry freight and have a range of options such as rear barn doors or roller doors.
SCEV says the eCanter has been well received in Australia and has joined a number of high-profile customer fleets including Linfox, Centurion, Australia Post, Toohey’s, Coles, Bunnings and Goldstar. It added that drivers have been especially impressed by their performance, the smoothness of the power delivery and the refinement.
As previously outlined by Fuso and its parent company Daimler, the eCanter comes standard with the Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS). This radar-based technology can automatically brake the truck for moving pedestrians, something that is especially important for electric vehicles that operate near-silently.Other key safety features include Lane Departure Warning System and Electronic Stability Control.
SCEV says its rental program will enable businesses to explore the potential of electric assets before they make a substantial investment – facilitating participation in the cultural shift towards environmentally friendly stewardship and corporate accountability within the transport supply chain.
“When we entered the truck market 20 years ago, it was only through a large upfront investment to purchase that you could grow a fleet,” Sommerville said.
“EV rental gives fleets and individuals the ability to expand and shrink their fleet with market fluctuations and embrace new products without fear of overcommitment,” he added
Based in Smeaton Grange, Sydney, SCEV is able to support customers along the east coast, offering delivery options for long-term rentals.
