KANSAS CITY, MO - Smith Electric Vehicles Corp., an all-electric commercial vehicle manufacturer, unveiled the Newton Step Van, an all-electric, zero-emission vehicle built on the versatile Newton platform that features a walk-in body produced by Indiana-based Utilimaster.

Smith announced the launch of the Newton Step Van in Indianapolis at the NTEA Work Truck Show, North America’s largest vocational truck and equipment event. FedEx Express will be the first company to deploy the Newton Step Vans in the United States.

The Newton Step Van, designed for delivery routes in urban environments, offers a gross vehicle weight of 14,000 to 26,000 lbs. 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.

“This opportunity helps support our goal to optimize and operate our vehicle fleet in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner,” said Dennis Beal, vice president of Global Vehicles at FedEx Express. “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.”