First Next Generation All-Electric Commercial Vehicles Delivered on Capitol Hill to Fortune 500 Companies
 Smith Newton, the world's largest battery-electric-powered truck |
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Staples, Frito-Lay, AT&T, and Kansas City Power & Light receive keys to new Smith Newton
WASHINGTON - July 28, 2009: Four Fortune 500 companies and two utility companies took delivery of the first in a series of next generation all-electric commercial vehicles in an automotive industry changing event hosted at the Capitol Reflecting Pool on the National Mall by Missouri Senator Kit Bond and attended by Carol M. Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), Coca-Cola Enterprises, Staples, Frito-Lay, AT&T and Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) were presented with the keys to all new Smith Newtons, the world's largest commercially available battery-electric-powered truck. The Newton is the first commercial all-electric truck to achieve new vehicle emissions certification in California.
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"AT&T, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Frito-Lay, KCP&L, PG&E and Staples are demonstrating their commitment to environmental sustainability and green fleet vehicle technologies that will drive the future of the automotive industry," said Bryan Hansel, CEO of Smith. "As more depot-based truck fleet operators come on board and adopt all-electric vehicles, battery technology will advance and manufacturing costs will be driven down, spurring new growth in the commercial electric vehicle industry, creating new high-tech jobs, and reducing fuel emissions and our dependency on foreign oil."
The Smith Newton is fuel-emissions-free, runs without noise or vibration, and actually stores electric energy during stopping through a process called regenerative braking. The Smith Newton has a top speed of 50 mph, a range on one battery charge in excess of 100 miles and a payload of over 16,000 lbs.
Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. (Smith), a Delaware corporation headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a privately held company owned by Private Investors Management and The Tanfield Group Plc, based in the United Kingdom. Tanfield is the parent company of Smith Electric Vehicles in the U.K., the leading manufacturer of zero-emissions battery-electric commercial vehicles in Europe since the 1920s.
Smith Electric Vehicles has produced the Newton truck in Europe for more than three years and has sold vehicles to major fleet operators in sectors such as mail and parcel delivery, logistics, retail, highway maintenance and airports.
Smith is initially focusing production on all-electric vehicles for depot-based predictable-route delivery and service fleets, and is bringing a proven next generation electric-drive technology to the American marketplace. Smith vehicles will feature the latest in Lithium-ion battery cell technology, power management and direct drivetrains. Smith has licensed the proprietary knowledge from Smith Electric Vehicles in the U.K. and has brought it to its new production facility in Kansas City, where for the first time all-electric trucks will be assembled and distributed by American workers.
Smith Newton Truck Specifications:
-- Motor - 120 kw Induction Motor
-- Battery - Lithium-Ion Batteries Payload - 7,392 lbs to 16,280 lbs
-- Gross Vehicle Weight - 16,535 lbs, 23,148 lbs or 26,455 lbs
-- Range - In excess of 100 miles (one battery charge)
-- Top Speed - 50 mph
-- On-board Battery Charger
-- Full Battery Recharge - 6 to 8 hours
About Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation
Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation, a Delaware corporation, is an
all-electric zero-emissions commercial truck manufacturer. The company
licenses its proprietary technology from Smith Electric Vehicles in the
U.K., the world's largest manufacturer and industry leader of commercial
electric vehicles. Smith is a privately held company owned by Private
Investors Management, and the Tanfield Group Plc, based in the United
Kingdom. Smith produces the Smith Newton - the world's largest
battery-electric-powered truck. Visit the Smith website at www.sev-us.com
About Tanfield Group Plc: The Tanfield Group Plc is the world's leading developer and manufacturer of road-going commercial electric vehicles and aerial work platforms. Tanfield is headquartered in Washington, Tyne & Wear, with operations in Europe, Scandinavia, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific and Africa. It has two main divisions:
Smith Electric Vehicles was founded in 1920 and acquired by Tanfield in October 2004. Following its acquisition, Smith Electric Vehicles is developing into a world leader in new technology electric vans and trucks with greatly enhanced performance, speed and range capabilities. This makes them attractive for all fleet operators in large towns, cities and closed industrial environments. For the first time, these fleet operators have economically viable, zero emission alternatives to using diesel vans and trucks. Smith Electric Vehicles has an unrivalled UK-wide service and support network, which already maintains over 5,000 vehicles for major fleet operators.
Powered Access contains two of the world's most established aerial work platform brands, UpRight Powered Access and Snorkel International. UpRight is the UK's biggest manufacturer of self-propelled aerial work platforms (also known as "cherry-pickers", "mobile elevating work platforms", "aerial lifts", etc). UpRight has assembly facilities in the UK and USA, with products sold through a strong network of over 200 independent, full-service distributors across Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. Snorkel, acquired in August 2007, has significant manufacturing capabilities along with strong sales and distribution, in North America and Australia. Tanfield has successfully extended its powered access product range and is now one of only three "full line" aerial lift manufacturers to have a significant global footprint in both the North America and EMEA regions, in what is a $7bn market.
