E Cantono

Commercial vehicle manufacturer Rome, Italy from 1900 to 1906

E Cantono (Eugenio Cantono) in Rome, developed an early 4-battery-electric conversion for horse-drawn wagons using 44 battery cells and two series-wound motors. A French sale
office was then established in 1902, the Cantono Electric Tractor Co was also formed in New York to licence-build Avant-Trains according to an Italian patent model for the American market as like many other manufactures from the time Avant-Trains were available with combustion, steam or electric engines.

By 1905, the company was also offering rear-wheel drive trolleybuses and 3-ton vans were re-named SA Ligure-Romana Vetture by the end of
the year and moved to Genoa in 1906.

After this the company was known as Fabbrica Rotabili Avan-Motori and all subsequent vehicles marketed as FRAM.