US Marine Corps purchases two Smith Electric Trucks
14 December 2010
Smith Electric Vehicles US Corporation has sold two all-electric Smith Newton trucks to the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The USMC becomes the first military organization to order Smith Newtons through the Government Services Administration (GSA) schedule; a list of approved suppliers to Federal government agencies. Smith Electric will deliver the trucks to Camp Pendleton, Calif., the Corps’ largest West Coast training facility, and home of the First Marine Expeditionary Force.
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| The Smith Electric Truck for the military. Click to enlarge. |
A September report by the Center for a New American Security recommended in the interest of financial and security concerns that America’s armed forces set a goal of operating all of its systems on non-petroleum fuels by 2040. The Marine Corps has already set out to reduce it energy use 30% by 2015 and increase its reliance on renewable electrical energy to 25% by 2025.
Smith Electric produces the Newton, which is the only medium duty (class 4-7) all-electric commercial truck on the GSA schedule. The trucks will be built in Smith Electric’s Kansas City, Mo., plant, and are scheduled for delivery to Camp Pendleton in February 2011.
The Newton delivers a top speed of 55 mph (88 km/h) and offers end users battery ranges from 50 to 120 miles (80km-192km) on a single charge, ideal for urban deliveries, utilities and personnel transport applications.
I'm not seeing how much the government paid for each truck....
Posted by: ejj | 14 December 2010 at 10:56 AM
They don't care.
I am becoming less and less pleased with the government dumping our money into expensive toys.
Indeed, the movement away from gas powered vehicles cannot be effectively driven by free enterprise (because there is presently no viable alternative to attract investors or buyers - it is to uncertain and/or long term).
But buying dead end, limited production vehicles with the technology of yesterday (or today, at best) is mostly a waste of money. - The fuel savings are inadequate (THIS can be, and is demonstrated by the marketplace) and I doubt it effectively advances the state of the art.
In the past, the government seemed to do an acceptable job of funding R & D (what other choice do we have).
I am not sure that is still true – the government is rapidly gaining control of every facet of society and, in turn, the government seems be coming under the control of the politicians who cater to special interests (and no, the taxpayer in NOT considered special).
Posted by: ToppaTom | 14 December 2010 at 01:40 PM
The military uses LOTS of fuel, so I would think that they would be more interested in promoting bio and synthetic fuels. If the middle east cuts off our oil supply it limits their options.
Posted by: SJC | 14 December 2010 at 02:15 PM
Yes. The military is pursuing this (bio and synthetic fuels) on many fronts - maybe this E-truck is just the USMC's share of the involvement.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 14 December 2010 at 05:36 PM
I think this is fine even if they do not buy that many. The military has woken up to the idea that maybe the middle east will not sell us oil with money borrowed from China if it all hits the fan.
Posted by: SJC | 15 December 2010 at 01:06 PM
The USAF has been funding efforts since at least 2006, to speed the development of synthetic fuels and have the commercial industry (manufactures of turbine engine and aircraft) approve the use of synthetic fuels and has a fast track validation process to demonstrate the usability of synthetic fuels in any turbine engine.
I am not sure buying battery powered trucks is worthwhile.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 15 December 2010 at 09:26 PM