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PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric) has begun testing a utility truck produced by Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. and Altec Industries. The utility company has sent a modified version of the Smith Newton out on maintenance routes in central and northern California. Smith and Altec will receive mileage, maintenance and performance data from PG&E to improve upon its current design. The test run of PG&E’s Smith Electric is thought to be the first such test for an all-electric utility vehicle in the United States.
Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. built the Newton utility truck with a 120 kW induction motor and a lithium-ion battery. The battery can be recharged to full capacity within eight hours, which is ideal for trucks that spend all night in company depots. The Smith Newton has a maximum speed of 50 miles per hour, making this truck ideal for neighborhood utility routes. The 100-mile range of the Smith Newton will be put to the test by PG&E with its sizable service area.
The Smith Newton used in the PG&E test run was outfitted with an Altec A737-G utility boom. The boom’s 37 foot height and 28-foot reach make it a formidable tool for utility workers trying to fix downed lines. PG&E’s Newton has a payload capacity of 16,000 pounds to handle the utility boom, equipment and personnel on daily utility routes. Once the Smith Newton has gone through the motions for PG&E, potential fleet customers will know for sure whether this utility truck can withstand heavy workloads.
Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. is using the PG&E test run as the first building block for its North American rollout. The Kansas City-based division of this international company will conduct additional tests at utility and delivery companies nationwide to take advantage of route-based operations. Smith has pointed out repeatedly in the past six months that it has received plenty of interest in its Newton design from fleet buyers. Even though the Newton has been operating in England since 2006, American fleet buyers will wait anxiously to see the results of the PG&E test run before committing to purchases. The looming Smith-Ford collaboration in 2010 on a cleaner Transit Connect coupled with a successful PG&E run could open the floodgates for the Smith Newton in America.
