THE world’s leading commercial electric vehicle manufacturer Smith Electric has secured an order for 100 zero emission vans and trucks for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Smith Electric Vehicles will deliver 100 of its leading edge Newton and Edison vehicles, in its largest fleet order to date. Replacing 100 diesel powered commercial vehicles with these battery powered vans and trucks will save an estimated 760,000kg in carbon dioxide exhaust emissions each year. The robust Smith Newton is based on the Avia truck chassis and is the world's largest high performance electric truck, weighing in with a GVW of between 7,500kg and 12,000kg. The high performance batteries and a 120 kilowatt motor quickly propel the vehicle up to its top speed of 50mph. In fact, Newton can accelerate from 0-30mph faster than the equivalent diesel-powered truck. Fully charged, the vehicle has a range of up to 150 miles, while the regenerative braking system returns power to the batteries every time the vehicle slows or stops.

The Irish order, destined for private and public sector fleet operators, will be sold and supported through a new independent distributor, Smith Electric Vehicles Ireland. Smith Electric Vehicles, based in North East England, manufactures a range of new technology electric vans and trucks. They are designed for intra-city applications, such as retail and distribution, post and parcel delivery, logistics and utilities work.