DHL has taken delivery of the first of two hybrid trucks, which will be trialled in the UK by its Express and Logistics divisions over the next three years.
The 7.5-tonne Mitsubishi Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid, which was handed over last week by head of Daimler Trucks Andreas Renschler (right), features a Japanese-built 3-litre diesel engine, supported by a 35kW AC motor and 1.9kWh of lithium-ion batteries. It uses an automatic transmission, and because of its ease of driving, no training will be given to the driver.
DHL, which has already run trials with a similar vehicle in its Japanese operation, is anticipating a 20% improvement in fuel economy.