The two-year lease, offered by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, allows customers several options to make the most of the fast-pace of development in battery technology and electric vehicle design.

After the lease expires, customers can either have their truck batteries replaced with the newest version, offering enhanced range, and continue leasing the same vehicle.

Alternatively, they can opt for a new, updated truck, which will also have new battery technology, but in a redesigned, compact configuration, with reduced weight and improved range.

The current Fuso eCanter offers a range of 100km, but developing battery technology means this will be extended quickly, according to Marc Llistosella, president and chief executive officer of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation and head of Daimler Trucks Asia.

He said: “We started with 100km range and already, through improvements to our systems, we have extended that potential range to 140km. This will extend further to 180km in the next six months.

“As an emission-free and quiet alternative to conventional trucks, the eCanter is the ideal solution for sustainable urban delivery. Having access to Daimler’s vast global network, we are committed to cooperate with and support local governments in building an e-ecosystem and necessary infrastructure to facilitate the growth of environmentally-friendly distribution systems.

“At the same time, we are excited to be able to work with cities such as London as they work to create a greener and more sustainable urban environment in the UK.”

He added that the move to zero-emission technology reflects changing attitudes to using diesel in urban environments, with a number of cities discouraging use of the fuel to protect public health, including London.

An electric truck is 75% efficient in terms of its energy use, compared to just 15% for a diesel truck, while a single eCanter could reduce urban CO2 emissions by 16 tons in typical use when compared to a fossil-fuel powered vehicle, Llistosella said.

Fuso is a Daimler Trucks brand, covering nearly all regions around the world, offering light-duty to heavy-duty trucks, vans, industrial engines and buses.

The eCanter was developed by Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corp, which is majority-owned by Daimler. It is produced in Portugal for the European and US markets and in Kawasaki, Japan for customers in Asia.

The truck had its global launch in New York in September 2017, with the first eCanter vehicles delivered to companies such as UPS in the US, Yamato and 7-Eleven in Japan, and DHL, DB Schenker, Rhenus and Dachser in Germany.

It has a gross vehicle weight of 7.49 tons and a payload of up to 4.5 tons depending on body and use case.

Mike Belk, managing director of Mercedes-Benz and Fuso Trucks UK, said: “Today is an historic day for London’s transport operators. Fully electric trucks are no longer science fiction – we at Daimler are already manufacturing them and now we’re putting them into operation with well-known customers. We’re pleased to build on our relationships with DPD, Hovis and Wincanton in this way, as they clearly believe the Fuso eCanter is a viable proposition for their urban distribution business.”

However, internal combustion engines will still dominate the market for years to come. In 2016, there were 1.8 million electric vehicles in use worldwide out of 1.3 billion cars and trucks.

A total of 150 eCanters will be in use worldwide by the end of 2018, with nearly 50 across Europe, including 10 in the UK, while 500 are expected to be sold globally in the first two years.

However, by 2020 a second generation eCanter will spark a surge in production and sales to thousands of vehicles annually, company executives say.