TIT Imhof, a transport, construction and disposal company based in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, has added an electric FUSO eCanter 9C18e skip loader to its truck fleet. The 8.55-tonne light-duty truck, which includes a type AK4V skip loader from Meier-Ratio, transports empty containers to customers and hauls the full containers to Imhof’s disposal center in Kreuzlingen.

Imhof’s eCanter has a range of up to 140 kilometers. The company charges it overnight at a DC charging unit in its yard. The skip loader body can lift containers ranging from one to ten cubic meters in size and up to 4.5 metric tons in weight.

“The eCanter perfectly meets our requirements and, above all, the payload of 3.3 tons is ideal for container transport,” says company owner Dominic Imhof.

With its short 3.4-meter wheelbase, the compact eCanter is particularly maneuverable—it can set the container down backwards in narrow driveways with high precision, and easily navigates the narrow, winding streets along the southern shore of Lake Constance.

“One of my favorite features is the electric power take-off (ePTO) in the eCanter,” says driver Jozef Peciar. “I press the button and the drive starts immediately. That’s not always the case with diesel-powered trucks. It often takes a while for the pump to start up.”

Dominic Imhof notes yet another advantage of the EVs in his fleet: “We didn’t even consider how quiet electric mobility would make our working environment. It’s another effect that everyone now really appreciates.”

Electric trucks will be exempt from Switzerland’s Heavy Vehicle Charge (HVC) until 2030. This fee amounts to around one Swiss franc ($1.15) per kilometer for a 40-tonne truck. Also, as of this year, Switzerland has introduced CO₂ taxation on vehicle imports. Exemption from these two expenses makes the total cost of ownership of the locally emission-free FUSO eCanter attractive despite higher purchase costs.

Source: Daimler Truck