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Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), the wholly-owned subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG, on Wednesday announced its entry into the battery electric market with the light-duty 'eCanter' trucks which will be launched within the next 6 to 12 months.

The eCanter for India is currently undergoing advanced testing. The battery-electric platform was developed in Japan, where the series production of the first-gen eCanter began in 2017.

"The launch of the all-electric eCanter in India, within the next 6 to 12 months, is the first step in our long-term strategy to decarbonise our entire product portfolio," Satyakam Arya, MD & CEO, DICV, said in a statement.

"Over the next two decades, we will have a firm footing with decarbonised transportation solutions and will be making progress towards becoming a leader in sustainable transportation in India," he added.

The all-new eCanter made its world debut in Japan and Europe during the second half of 2022. According to the company, hundreds of eCanters have been sold in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong since the first generation's launch in 2017.

"We will primarily commit to battery-electric and hydrogen-based propulsion technologies across our future product portfolio, in a phased manner. One thing is for sure, we will be ready with the right vehicles when the market is," said Arya.

In the future, the company plans to introduce trucks across multiple utility segments to fulfil long haul, mining, construction, POL, dumper, RMC and other freight and terrain requirements.