Organic food producer Soyfoods has acquired a Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid in line with its eco-friendly ethos.
The company is based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, and supplies a range of organic foods including tofu as well as fruit and vegetables, dairy produce and breads.
The new Canter diesel-electric 7.5-tonner offers significantly lower emissions than a conventional vehicle, and is powered by a 150hp diesel engine which works in parallel with a 54hp electric motor. An Idle Start-Stop system is fitted as standard and contributes to fuel savings by the Eco Hybrid of up to 23% compared to its standard, diesel-engined stablemate.
The truck has a Duonic dual clutch automated transmission while its compact electric motor and lithium-ion batteries help it to tip the scales at just 160kg more than the standard diesel-powered Canter, giving it a 5.0-tonne body and payload allowance.
Acquired with funding support from Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, the Canter is fitted with an insulated and temperature-controlled box body by Jackson Coachworks, of Loughborough, and will be used to make multi-drop deliveries to retailers, restaurants, caterers and other customers including in London.
Soyfoods founder Paul Jones said: “We make a lot of our deliveries in London and other urban centres where high levels of nitrogen oxide mean the air quality is very poor. Anything we can do to help alleviate this crisis by choosing a vehicle which offers significantly reduced emissions has to be worthwhile.
“The Canter EcoHybrid commands a price premium over a standard, diesel-engined version. But we should recoup most, if not all, of this additional outlay through the savings we’re making on our diesel bill.”