FedEx Express set to be first to deploy Smith Electric truck

FedEx Express will be the first company in the world to deploy a new kind of electric-powered step van now being built in the United States. Manufacturer Smith Electric Vehicles Corporation unveiled the production version of its all-electric Smith Newton van today at a truck show in Indianapolis, as it launched full production.

The first Newton Step Vans are expected to be deployed in select US markets throughout the remainder of 2012.

Smith Electric said it could not reveal how many vehicles the Memphis-based shipping giant will be taking on, and FedEx was keeping quiet about the number this afternoon.

The vehicle is described as “ideal” for thousands of delivery routes in urban environments, with a spokesperson for the manufacturer telling Post&Parcel that the vehicles can be fully charged overnight.

Offering a driving range of about 100 miles on a single charge, the vans come in vehicle weights from 14,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds.

FedEx Express said using the Smith Newton van was an opportunity to support the company’s efforts to optimise its fleet in an “economically and environmentally sustainable manner”.

Dennis Beal, the FedEx Express vice president of Global Vehicles, said: “Smith’s global footprint and track record of successful electric vehicle deployments make it an ideal collaborator as FedEx continues to improve its fleet efficiency, reducing emissions while providing the best possible service to our customers around the world.”

Smith

Smith Electric Vehicles produces its vans at manufacturing facilities in Kansas City, Missouri, and also has production facilities outside Newcastle in the United Kingdom.

The Kansas City-based company was set up by British firm Tanfield Group before the US subsidiary bought its parent company last year.

The company has previously provided its smaller Newton electric truck, launched in 2006 in configurations ranging from 7,500 pounds to 12,000 pounds in weight, for companies including TNT Express and DHL.

The new, larger Smith Newton electric vehicle is the result of development part-funded by federal economic stimulus funding from the Obama Administration. An initial trial of six vehicles was conducted from July 2009 involving a handful of companies including two energy firms, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Frito-Lay and Staples.

FedEx Express already operates more than 40 all-electric vehicles around the world, including in London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Memphis.

Bryan Hansel, the chief executive and chairman of Smith, said: “The leadership shown by FedEx in adopting all-electric vehicles has been instrumental to growing the industry.

“We welcome FedEx and look forward to successful vehicle deployments that demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of fleet electrification,” added Hansel.