Smith Electric Vehicles(Smith),a provider of all-electric commercial vehicles,has unveiled the Newton Step Van at the NTEA Work Truck Show,North America's vocational truck and equipment event.
The new model which is an all-electric,zero-emission vehicle was built on the Newton platform,that features a walk-in body produced by Utilimaster,a subsidiary of Spartan Motors.
In the US,FedEx will be the first firm to deploy the Newton Step Vans,which offer a gross vehicle weight of 14,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds and a range of about 100 miles on a single charge.
The new vehicle includes its proprietary Drive,Power,and Link technologies to provide power train performance,battery management efficiency and remote system monitoring.
Smith chairman and CEO Bryan Hansel 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,"Hansel said.
The company said that the first Newton Step Vans are expected to be deployed in select US markets across this year.
FedEx Express vice president of global vehicles Dennis Beal said this opportunity helps support the company's goal to optimize and operate its vehicle fleet in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner.
"Smith's global footprint and track record of successful EV 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,"Beal said.
