The Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid could consume up to 15% less fuel than conventional diesel vehicles, and the hybrid truck’s CO₂ emissions are therefore decreased correspondingly as well.

The ten Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids were presented to the eight customers (Amey, DHL, Hill Hire, Ringway, Royal Mail, Scottish and Southern, Tesco, and TNT) in the heart of London. In selecting the partners for the test, Daimler made sure that the fleet test would cover a wide range of different customer requirements with regard to commercial vehicles. For example, while trucks used by logistics companies like DHL, Royal Mail, and TNT for package deliveries are often caught in stop-and-go traffic and frequently have to stop to unload cargo, trucks operated by the retail chain Tesco are used on regular runs between supermarkets and the central warehouse. The Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid will document its fuel-saving potential in both of these user scenarios.

Daimler subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) introduced the Canter Eco Hybrid in Japan in 2006. MFTBC manufactured the vehicles for Europe as a small batch. They combine a 3.0-liter Euro 4 diesel with 107 kW (145 hp) output and maximum torque of 362 Nm; a 35 kW, 200Nm water-cooled electric motor located between the clutch and the Inomat II automated manual transmission; and a 1.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack mounted in a housing on the left side of the frame.   

Two specialized Mercedes-Benz service centers are located in the London metropolitan area to support customers in the ongoing operation of the hybrid trucks. In fall of 2008, specialists at Daimler will equip all of the ten Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids with a new measuring system.

Daimler is the global market leader in commercial vehicles with hybrid drives. More than 1,500 Orion hybrid buses have been delivered to customers in the US and in Canada, and further 1,100 are on order. In addition, 160 Freightliner hybrid trucks have gone into operation, and 200 further vehicles will be delivered to UPS beginning in 2009. Altogether, Freightliner will put more than 1,500 medium-duty hybrid trucks on the road over the next three years. Moreover, a total of 300 Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids have been delivered to customers since 2006. In addition, Mitsubishi Fuso also offers the Fuso Aero Star Eco Hybrid route bus in Japan.