Dear Reader

This month I am delighted to announce that Smith has made the shortlist for the UK Government’s new low carbon van initiative. The scheme, funded by the Department for Transport and operated by CENEX, aims to improve sales of electric and low carbon vans. The programme offers an initial £20m pot to pay the difference between a conventional diesel van and the electric or low carbon equivalent. Further details are given below.

Our summer newsletter has a strong public sector theme, as we celebrate our success in two UK Government programmes for electric vehicles.

And in the United States, Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation delivers its first Smith Newton electric trucks. The handover ceremony took place on Capitol Hill, Washington DC and was presided over by Missouri Senator Kit Bond, who is a great advocate for the US operation.

The first customers include four Fortune 500 companies, who are purchasing 30 Smith Newton trucks in total.

Remember, if you are thinking about converting your fleet to electric you can find out more at our website at www.SmithElectricVehicles.com.

Kevin Harkin, Sales Director, Smith Electric Vehicles

Smith Delivers First Electric Truck for Major US Corporations

The Frito-Lay Newton

Four major US corporations and two utility companies this week took delivery of the Smith Newton, the largest road-going electric truck in North America. Coca-Cola, Staples, Frito-Lay, AT&T, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) are the first Newton customers in the USA.

The trucks, conceived by Smith Electric Vehicles in North East England, were handed over at an official ceremony at the seat of power in the USA, Capitol Hill.

Darren Kell, CEO of The Tanfield Group Plc, which owns Smith Electric Vehicles, said: "The electric vehicle technology delivered to these customers today can readily be delivered to fleets in every major town and city in North America.

"The Smith Newton provides depot-based truck fleets with a realistic, zero emissions transport solution that both lowers greenhouse gas emissions and helps improve air quality in our urban centres."

Powered by the latest Lithium-Ion batteries and a 120kw electric motor, the Smith Newton has a top speed of 50mph (80km) and a range in excess of 100 miles (160km) on a full charge. It can be recharged in six hours. Newton was launched in the UK by Smith Electric Vehicles in 2006. It is produced in North America by Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation, based in Kansas City, Missouri.

Missouri Senator Kit Bond, who hosted the launch event, said: "These next generation electric vehicles Smith is producing demonstrate exactly the kind of technology we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and end our dependence on foreign oil.

"Missouri is a growing leader in exciting new battery technology, making it an ideal partner for all-electric vehicle manufacturing."

The Smith Newton is emissions-free, runs without noise or vibration, and actually reclaims electric energy during stop-start urban operations, through regenerative braking.

The Smith Newton has a top speed of 50 mph, a range on one battery charge in excess of 100 miles. Three models are produced with gross vehicle weights of 7,500kg, 10,000kg and 12,000kg, providing a payload of up to 7,300kg.

UK Government chooses Smith Electric Vehicles for Electric Van Programme

Smith Electric Vehicles will play a key role in a new Government initiative to place up to 100 electric vans on UK roads.

And if the early stage trials are successful, this could lead to widespread subsidies for public sector procurement of battery-powered vans.

Smith Electric Vehicles, which is based in Washington, Tyne & Wear, will supply the UK Government's Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Programme (LCVPP), administered by the Department for Transport (DfT). The LCVPP provides subsidies for select public sector bodies to procure electric and low carbon vans.

Smith is one of only three suppliers of electric vans included in the project and will supply the Smith Edison, which is based on the Ford Transit panel van. Edison has been on sale for more than two years - existing customers include Royal Mail, Government Car & Despatch Agency and the Environment Agency. The vehicle has a restricted top speed of 50mph and a range of up to 100 miles on a full battery charge.

The DfT will provide grant funding towards the procurement of the vehicles, covering the incremental cost of the low carbon option compared with a conventional vehicle.

The first phase of the LCVPP will see a total of three suppliers deliver a maximum of 150 electric vans to 12 public sector bodies, including the Royal Mail, HMRC, Government Car & Despatch Agency, Metropolitan Police, Environment Agency, Transport for London and six consortia of local authorities, including one for Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council.

Four out of the 12 participating end users were already using the Smith Edison van in their fleets, prior to the announcement of this programme.

The DfT is collating the requirements of the participating end users and will shortly inform each supplier of the number of vehicles it will be producing for phase one. If the first phase of the programme is successful, the DfT will look at the opportunity to expand the trials into the wider public sector.

Darren Kell, CEO of The Tanfield Group Plc, which owns Smith Electric Vehicles, said: "This programme gives us the opportunity to strengthen existing customer relationships and expand our end user base.

"We will be working hard to ensure that this first phase is a success, so that the DfT rolls out a wider subsidy programme to the public sector as a whole."

Smith Wins Funding for Taxi, Minibus and People Carrier Projects

Smith Electric Vehicles is to produce 16 prototype passenger electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a national project to place the UK at the forefront of EV manufacturing.

Darren Kell, CEO of The Tanfield Group Plc, which owns Smith Electric Vehicles, said: "This project will support our plans to transfer leading edge EV technology from our vans and trucks into passenger vehicles.

"It opens up a raft of exciting possibilities for us. Smith Electric Vehicles is already acknowledged as the leader in EVs that move goods; now we can target the same market position for EVs that move people."

The electric London taxi, a British icon, will be based on the TX4 cab, produced by London Taxis International. Smith Electric Vehicles will build 10 vehicles for initial customer evaluation and data capture. Designed for city centre operations, it will have the same passenger-carrying capabilities as the standard taxi, but will be powered by the latest lithium-ion batteries instead of a diesel engine. Smith Electric Vehicles is targeting performance of 50mph and a range of 125 miles on a full battery charge.

The people carrier, with seven seats, will have similar capabilities as the Ford Tourneo Connect BEV Concept vehicle, produced in collaboration with Ford of Europe. This concept vehicle has a top speed of 70mph and a range of 100 miles. Smith will build five vehicles for initial evaluation.

The executive minibus, with up to seven seats, will be based on the Ford Transit van chassis. The vehicle will have a top speed of 50mph and a range of 100 miles on a single charge. Both the minibus and the people carrier are aimed at the corporate travel sector and closed campus environments such as airports or military bases.

The funding comes from the Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator Programme, which is administered by the Government's Technology Strategy Board. Smith Electric Vehicles is part of a consortium for North East England that will invest £10.7m in developing and trialling 35 electric vehicles.

Newcastle University's Transport Operations Research Group will monitor and model the performance and use of the vehicles.