Pioneering organic food producer Soyfoods stayed true to its eco-friendly ethos with its latest truck acquisition, a FUSO Canter Eco Hybrid.
The diesel-electric 7.5-tonner offers significantly lower emissions than a conventional vehicle and is the first hybrid to make economic as well as environmental sense.
Soyfoods – which is also known to many as Paul’s, after founder Paul Jones – is based in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. The first UK manufacturer of tofu, a soy milk-based product popular in traditional Japanese and south-east Asian cuisines, it also supplies a wide range of other organic foods including fruit and vegetables, dairy produce and breads.
The new truck arrived via Mercedes-Benz Dealer Mertrux – like other members of the German manufacturer’s UK Network, the East Midlands franchisee is additionally responsible for sales and support of the Japanese FUSO range.
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. This wears an eye-catching livery which proclaims the vehicle’s environmental credentials with the message: ‘Another small step towards a lower carbon future’.
The Eco Hybrid model is powered by a 110 kW (150hp) diesel engine which works in parallel with a state-of-the-art 40 kW (54hp) electric motor. From stationary it uses electric power only, then switches to a combination of diesel and electric operation once a speed of around 6 mph has been reached. Depending on the power demand, the electric motor also supports the diesel at higher speeds; mode switching is seamless, requiring no input from the driver. 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 the minimal weight of its compact electric motor and lithium-ion batteries – which are covered by a 10-year, unlimited mileage warranty, fully supported by FUSO – mean it tips the scales at just 160 kg more than the standard diesel-powered Canter. The result is a highly competitive, 5.0-tonne body and payload allowance.
Soyfoods’ refrigerated trucks and vans make regular, multi-drop deliveries to retailers, restaurants, caterers and other customers located along the M1 and A1 corridors. The Eco Hybrid is sent to London two or three times each week.
Paul Jones ‘dropped out’ after embracing the counterculture movement of the 1960s, and has always adhered to its core values of social justice and care for the environment.
Having founded his business 45 years ago, Mr Jones purchased his first Mercedes-Benz vehicle, also a 7.5-tonner, in 1980 and has remained loyal to the brand ever since. He ran Atego light trucks for many years before switching to Sprinter vans but purchased the Canter Eco Hybrid after strong customer demand dictated the need for a bigger vehicle again.
“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,” observed Mr Jones. “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.”
As with its previous vehicles, Soyfoods’ latest truck is the subject of a Mercedes-Benz Repair and Maintenance Contract. “Our relationship with Mertrux dates back to the mid-1980s,” added Mr Jones. “The Dealer provides a highly professional service. Several members of the team at its Leicester branch have been there for as long as I can remember, and they look after us very well.”
