FUSO eCanter in Sweden: Falkenklev Logistik electrifies its routes for DHL in Malmö

Leinfelden-Echterdingen - Falkenklev Logistik from Sweden is converting its city traffic in Malmö to electric drive with the new FUSO eCanter. With a total of six new FUSO eCanter 9C18e, the Swedish company Falkenklev Logistik AB is expanding its electric truck fleet. The bright yellow light trucks will be used exclusively for DHL transport operations on the southern coast of Sweden in the Skåne region and, in particular, in the city of Malmö, and are branded accordingly. Falkenklev Logistik is a long-standing partner of DHL. 

Six eCanter for urban distribution 

The compact 8.55-tonne vehicles have a wheelbase of 4,750 mm and a maximum body length of 7.2 m, offering up to 15 pallet spaces. "They fill the gap between vans and heavy-duty delivery trucks, and are exactly what we were looking for to electrify our daily deliveries for DHL in the center of Malmö," says Victor Falkenklev, CEO of Falkenklev Logistik AB, describing the requirements. The entrepreneur was totally convinced of the suitability of the FUSO eCanter for his intended use and ordered the vehicles without any test drive or even seeing the vehicles at the dealership. With around 20 to 30 stops to deliver and collect goods and an average length of just under 20 kilometers, the routes are perfect for using purely electric vehicles. In contrast to diesel vehicles, which are not very efficient when used constantly in stop-and-go traffic. With the size M-battery pack, which consists of two batteries and promises a range of up to 140 kilometers, the new eCanter is therefore more than ideal. 

Perfectly adapted for its intended use 

For use in Malmö, the general importer Veho Bil Sverige AB, which has been represented in the Malmö region since the beginning of 2024, equipped the new eCanter with an additional step at the entrance at the customer's request. Although the entry height of the cabin of the FUSO eCanter is very low anyway, the additional step is intended to give drivers a familiar feeling when they are switching from larger trucks to the eCanter and are used to entry steps. Veho also equipped the vehicles with a roof spoiler and side wind deflectors. This has a positive effect on efficiency and visually harmonizes the cabin with the box body. Marcus Sjöberg, sales representative at Veho import AB in Malmö, is proud to be supporting Falkenklev Logistik in its transformation and prepared a detailed driver training program for the official handover. 

Pioneering role in the transformation of the transport industry 

Victor Falkenklev explains his entrepreneurial motivation as follows: "I have been thinking about how to make our business sustainable for a while now. I want a greener future for my two young children and for myself. But that will only happen if everyone in their own area becomes active and makes a difference." Together with his mother Marita Falkenklev, the owner, and his brother William Falkenklev, the CEO at the Helsingborg site, the 33-year-old is the third generation to run the family business, which was founded by his grandparents in 1957. 

Victor Falkenklev started the company with a solar park that the company had built as early as 2022. The plant in Perstorp, around 80 kilometers northeast of Malmö, is 15,000 square meters in size, produces over one million kilowatt hours of electricity per year and has a connected battery storage system with two megawatts of power that helps to stabilize the grid. The electricity is fed into the public grid and Falkenklev Logistik can withdraw it from its locations through a certificate trading system. "We have around 140 trucks on routes that we could easily manage electrically," explains Victor Falkenklev. So, he first invested in half a dozen heavy-duty distribution trucks from a Swedish manufacturer and an eActros 300. The company also owns almost 20 Mercedes-Benz eSprinters. But his vision goes even further: "Then I thought, okay, we have to charge these vehicles. If we could do that with our own electricity from the solar park at our own charging stations, the 'Green Circle' would be complete." 

For this reason, Sweden's first and largest charging station for heavy vehicles with 22 CCS2 charging points and a battery storage system was built directly opposite the Falkenklev site in Malmö Arlöv. The charging standard enables up to 350 kilowatts of power and is suitable for trucks and cars. The initial plan was to charge the company's own electric fleet overnight. Then Victor Falkenclev had the idea of building an additional business on top of that. "So we quickly turned it into a charging park that is open to the public during the day, and it is used by many people here in the industrial area," says Victor Falkenklev, describing the development. He is now also CEO of Rifil Laddpark, his own company for charging infrastructure. Rifil Laddpark recently opened a second charging park in Perstorp, and three more locations are already in the planning stage for the Skåne region.

When he talks about his vision, it becomes even clearer that Victor Falkenklev is a pioneer and that his business already thinks beyond mere transportation services. Further acquisitions of electric trucks to electrify the fleet 100 percent in the long term are already firmly in the pipeline, and every suitable surface, from hall roofs to green strips, is to be equipped with solar panels. In purely mathematical terms, the company could cover its energy needs completely in about a year and be self-sufficient. "We could run on diesel and make more money. But I just want to do whatever I can to make the transport industry more sustainable. Our experience so far has shown that this is possible," he emphasizes. He is not losing sight of the other possibilities that an electrified fleet offers: "In Sweden, energy suppliers pay battery storage owners to stabilize the grid." This can also include the large batteries in electric trucks when charging in both directions. For Victor Falkenklev, this means that his trucks would even earn money when stationary. 

Philip Flygare, Head of Sales & Marketing at Veho Import AB, distributor for FUSO Trucks in Sweden, is convinced that the eCanter will establish itself in Sweden thanks to its vehicle characteristics and versatility: "I see it as the perfect vehicle for this segment of electrically powered light distribution vehicles. That's why we decided to bring the eCanter to Sweden. Even though FUSO is a brand that is not yet known on the local market, it is part of Daimler Truck and stands for a mature and high-quality product." During the course of the year, the general importer plans to attend trade fairs throughout Sweden with various versions of the eCanter, thus raising awareness of the vehicle. And the signs are not bad: "While we were preparing the eCanter for Falkenklev Logistik, another customer discovered it in the yard. He also ordered one immediately," says Veho salesman Marcus Sjöberg, laughing, "the FUSO eCanter has obviously arrived in Sweden."