SCHENKER AG (DB SCHENKER) integrated two FUSO eCanters into its fleet network in Finland at the beginning of the year and is operating the battery-electric 7.5-ton trucks every day in one of the coldest regions in Europe.

In Kuusamo, in the far northeast of Finland, the snow is often several meters deep between October and April, and temperatures as low as -30 degrees are not uncommon. Starting from the DB SCHENKER hub in Kuusamo, the eCanter has been making last-mile deliveries since January, 2024.

The vehicle is currently one of the most-northern electric trucks from Daimler Truck in customer operations. Another eCanter is deployed in Oulu, about 200km southwest of Kuusamo.

DB SCHENKER made a conscious decision to deploy the first two vehicles of the current eCanter model at these two locations. Raino Mourujärvi, Head of Terminal Area at DB SCHENKER Northern Finland, is responsible for all buildings, vehicles and personnel for land transportation in the north of Finland: “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.”

EXTREME ADAPTABILITY  So far, the eCanter has fully demonstrated this. Sami Määtä, Terminal Manager at DB SCHENKER hub in Kuusamo and also driver of the eCanter, has already driven more than 1,200km with the eCanter in recent weeks, making deliveries to customers. “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.”

Another clear advantage for Määttä is the charging directly inside of the building: while the eCanter is charging its batteries, the DB SCHENKER employee is planning the routes for the day or can load freight into other vehicles. Waiting times during the refueling process at a filling station are completely eliminated.

ELECTRIC PRECONDITIONING  Thanks to the electric preconditioning, the vehicle can reach to the ideal operating temperature before it is put into operation. This is pleasant for the driver but also helps increase range and service life of the battery. Driver Määttä has become accustomed to the eCanter’s range, which is technically limited in extremely low temperatures: “I’ve never been stranded with an empty battery. I plan my routes and those of our other vehicles accordingly.”

But of course, this planning will become easier when the vehicle has a longer range in the warmer months. DB SCHENKER is looking forward to the coming months and would like to gain further experience with the vehicle throughout the year.

DRIVING SUSTAINABLE LOGISTICS  For Harald Knaapinen, Head of Land Transport Finland at DB SCHENKER, the use of the FUSO eCanter is also part of the strategy: “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. 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.”

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE  DB SCHENKER was one of the first eCanter customers in Europe. The company introduced the eCanter into its fleets in Germany, France and other European countries starting in 2018. Today, 52 FUSO eCanters (the current model and its predecessor) operate for DB SCHENKER in Europe.

Florian Schulz, Head of Sales & Customer Services Fuso Europe, appreciates the good cooperation with the customer DB SCHENKER: “The feedback we have received on the eCanter from DB SCHENKER over the last few years is extremely valuable to us. We have incorporated the feedback directly into the development of our Next Generation eCanter. We are delighted that DB SCHENKER is now also using the new model in its fleet network across Europe.”