Smiths Electrics Vehicles’ largest electric delivery truck has taken to the roads in the US today for the first time.
Four major US corporations are the first to buy the Smith Newton – among them Coca-Cola, Staples, snack food company Frito-Lay, and telephone network provider AT&T, along with two utility companies – Pacific Gas and Electric, and Kansas City Power & Light.
They were handed over at an official ceremony at Capitol Hill, Washington DC at 11am (EST) – 4pm UK-time.
The trucks come in 7.5, 10, or 12-tonne models and are powered by the latest lithium-ion batteries, which can be recharged in six hours.
It is emissions-free, runs without noise or vibration, and reclaims electric energy during stop-start urban operations, through regenerative braking.
Smiths, which is part of the Tanfield Group, first launched the Newton in the UK, and it is now produced by in Kansas City, Missouri.
