Isuzu to Launch Small EV Truck at End of 2018

Isuzu Motors Ltd will launch a small electric (EV) truck in the Japanese market by the end of 2018.

The truck will be developed by replacing the power train of Isuzu's Elf small truck with a driving motor and battery.

"We aim at a drive range longer than 100 km," Isuzu said in a statement. "With that drive range, the truck can be easily used for delivery operation in urban areas."

The key is a lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery. The EV truck is equipped with two 40kWh battery packs, which are located between the right front and rear wheels and between the left front and rear wheels, respectively.

The maximum output of the driving motor is expected to be 150kW. The dimensions of the EV truck are 6,690 (L) x 2,154 (W) x 3,000 (H). Its maximum loading capacity is 3,000kg.

Isuzu has been one step behind Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corp, which is Isuzu's rival.

Mitsubishi Fuso started volume production of the "eCanter" small EV truck ahead of other companies and started to deliver the truck to Seven-Eleven Japan Co Ltd and Yamato Transport Co Ltd in October. The drive range of the eCanter is 100km per charge, which is equivalent to that of the EV truck being developed by Isuzu. The capacity of the eCanter's Li-ion battery is 66kWh, which is about 20% lower than the expected battery capacity of Isuzu's truck.

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