Smith Debuts all-electric van that FedEx Express will use

Smith Electric Vehicles Corp. has unveiled an all-electric vehicle called the Newton Step Van that will be used by FedEx Express. Smith, Kansas City, Mo., announced the launch in Indianapolis at the National Truck Equipment Association’s Work Truck Show earlier this month. FedEx Express said it will be the first company to deploy the manufacturer’s vans in the United States. The Newton Step Van, an ideal solution for thousands of delivery routes in urban environments, offers a gross vehicle weight of 14,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds and a range of approximately 100 miles on a single charge. The vehicle incorporates Smith’s proprietary Smith Drive™, Smith Power™, and Smith Link™ technologies to provide superior power train performance, battery management efficiency and remote system monitoring.

“The leadership shown by FedEx in adopting all-electric vehicles has been instrumental to growing the industry,” said Bryan Hansel, CEO and chairman of Smith. “We welcome FedEx and look forward to successful vehicle deployments that demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits of fleet electrification.”

The first Newton Step Vans are expected to be deployed in select U.S. markets throughout the remainder of 2012. Utilimaster made the platform, Smith said in a statement.