AG Barr Newton. Click to enlarge.

A spokesman for AG Barr said: “We invested in this new electric vehicle technology as part of our ongoing strategy to reduce our carbon footprint. However, the Newton is one example of where being green can also bring economic benefits. The vehicle is costing us less than 3p per kilometer [about US$0.08/mile] to run, which is a phenomenal saving compared to what we spend on diesel for a similar truck.”

Designed and built in the UK by Smith Electric Vehicles, the Newton is the world’s largest road-going electric truck. Its lithium-ion batteries provide a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a range of up to 100 miles (161 km) on a single charge. A full recharge takes 6-8 hours.

AG Barr is operating the vehicle from its Walthamstow depot, delivering hundreds of cases of soft drinks each day across London.

AG Barr’s spokesman said: “Our drivers love the Newton because it is quiet and very easy to operate. We are continuing to assess the vehicle’s performance, but are already looking at where else we can deploy electric vehicles in our fleet.”