Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV) is part of a consortium working on a £2.8-million (US$4.6-million) project to develop a new, more efficient electric driveline, along with smarter, more energy efficient ancillary systems, such as heating and air conditioning. Combining all these elements together, Smith’s engineers believe they can improve the range of its electric vans by up to 20 miles (about 20%) on a full battery charge. Current maximum range is around 100 miles for urban operations.
Separately, Smith Electric Vehicles, a producer of commercial electric vehicles, introduced two new electric passenger vehicles at LCV2009, a showcase for low-carbon vehicles, in the UK. The first is a new electric people carrier, the second, a new electric executive minibus.
The zero emission Smith Ampere people carrier is an eight-seat passenger vehicle with a projected range of 100 miles (160 km) on a full battery charge and a top speed of 70 mph (113 km/h). Smith Electric Vehicles has produced commercial EVs for more than 80 years and is Ford’s official collaborator on commercial EVs in Europe and North America.
The vehicle features a 28 kWh Li-ion battery pack and a 50 kW permanent magnet motor. LCV2009 is the first opportunity for potential customers to experience the vehicle in motion, on the test track at Millbrook Proving Grounds.
Smith also unveiled a new, nine or 11-seat battery electric minibus, called the Speedster, which will go into service with a major London retailer. It has a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) and a range of 80-130 miles (129-209 km) on a full charge, depending on the size of the battery pack—Smith plans to offer a choice of 50, 60 or 70kWh battery packs. The minibus features a 90 kW motor.
Smith has developed an onboard fast-charging technology that will further extend the vehicle’s daily operating range to more than 200 miles (322 km) by enabling a full charge from flat in 3-4 hours for a full charge from flat. This also allows for opportune charging at fixed points on the route.
Working with new company Green Urban Transport, Smith has developed the unique executive minibus based on its Smith Edison electric van, which uses the Ford Transit chassis. Green Urban Transport will deploy the first prototype vehicle on trials with a number of companies, including offering a premium London commuting solution and a premium door-to-door shuttle service for customers of a major retailer in West London.
The Smith Ampere is a light van based on the Ford Transit Connect chassis and the Smith Edison is based on the Ford Transit chassis. Both are produced in collaboration with Ford of Europe.
– from Green Car Congress