Smith Electric showed off a new type of vehicle at their Kansas City plant. The new model is built on the same Newton platform as many of their current trucks, but this will be a step van, the kind of truck used for deliveries.
The first client is Fed Ex.
Brian Hansel is the CEO of Smith Electric. He said step vans are an opportunity for growth.
“Anybody that drives on the road and looks around and see the number of step-through vans versus conventional trucks, it’s a significant part of the commercial truck market,” said Hansel.
Smith Electric makes the structural part of the truck in its Kansas City factory.
Hansel says a glut in electric vehicle battery makers is helping the company by keeping battery prices low, but still many of the trucks are sold in areas with state incentives for low emission vehicles.