Brazilian beverage maker Ambev has ordered 1,000 electric delivery trucks from manufacturer FNM (Fábrica Nacional de Mobilidades). The trucks, which FNM developed in collaboration with Brazillian vehicle manufacturer Agrale, will use liquid-cooled battery packs from California-based Octillion Power Systems and electric drivetrains from Danfoss Editron.
Ambev plans to deploy the 1,000 electric delivery vehicles by the end of 2021. It operates over 7,000 trucks in its Brazilian fleet, and says it wants at least half of these to operate on clean energy by 2023.
FNM has opened an EV factory inside Agrale’s manufacturing facility in Caxias do Sul in southeast Brazil. The collaborative effort will produce both the FNM model 832, a Class 6 truck with up to 14-ton capacity, and the FNM model 833, a Class 8 truck with an 18-ton capacity.
Ambev’s order is for the larger FNM 833 electric truck, which has a range of up to 700 km.
The trucks use niobium in the chassis, brakes, suspension, wheels and other parts to reduce the vehicle’s weight. The Danfoss Editron drivetrain features a 250kW motor with an Eaton multi-speed transmission. The trucks are also fitted with a digital AVIONICS controller and inverter to enable the intelligent management of all the vehicle’s operations. Weighing only 85kg, Danfoss Editron’s drivetrain systems are, it claims, significantly lighter than other electric engines on the market, which can weigh as much as 500kg.