Leeds City Council is buying four Smith Edison electric vans for its municipal fleet as part of a drive to green its fleet.
The Smith Edison panel van is a pure electric version of the Ford Transit that is driven by an electric motor and powered by lithium-ion batteries.
Designed and built in the UK by Smith Electric Vehicles, Edison has a top speed of 50mph and a range of up to 100 miles on a single battery charge. A full recharge takes six to eight hours.
The council has placed its first order as part of the city’s commitment to the Lower Carbon Vehicle Public Procurement Programme (LCVPP). Leeds is one of the six local authorities involved in the Department for Transport’s national programme, which aims to introduce low carbon vehicles into public sector fleets.