Posted on: 03.12.10 by Danita Blackwood The streets of Saint Louis, Missouri are green today; not only because the Gateway City is decorated for the upcoming Saint Patrick’s Day Parade; but green technology is on the roads as The Work Truck Show 2010 brings the latest hybrid technology and alternative fuel strategies for business.
Business owners and fleet managers can not only drive new green vehicles as part of the national show, a special Green Truck Summit includes workshops on new policies, technologies, and incentives impacting trucks for business. A wide variety of trucks and service vehicles taking part in the show’s green event included hybrid electric vehicles, propane and natural gas vehicles, all electric drive vehicles and hydraulic hybrid vehicles.



Some of the fleet vehicles at the event are very familiar to small business owners: Staples and AT&T have added all electric trucks to their fleets.


AT&T is buying two of the first Ford Transit Connect Electric vans to go on sale later this year. The Transit Connect Electric has a range up to 80 miles on a single charge with a top speed of 75 miles per hour. The Transit Connect Electric is expected to offer lower cost of operation because recharging with electricity is generally less expensive than refueling with gasoline. Additionally, customers will benefit from lower maintenance costs as the electric drive train has far fewer moving parts to maintain.



AT&T currently operates 15 gasoline-powered Ford Transit Connect vehicles. The world's largest electric battery-powered truck, the Smith Newton, is also a part of the AT&T green fleet.



Business and office supplier, Staples, was one of the first fleet customers to take delivery of a Smith electric truck from the Kansas City assembly plant. With a top speed of 50 miles per hour, the Smith vehicle has a one hundred mile range and a 16,000-pound payload.

The big electric truck can be recharged in six hours and the on-board battery charger can be recharged at most commercial or industrial buildings.

You can learn more about the vehicles, speakers and workshops for business at the show at http://www.ntea.com/worktruckshow/index.aspx?id=938.

Green initiatives for small business including videos, podcasts and articles are free online at http://www.sbtv.com/GreenBusiness/Initiatives/1552 and

http://www.sbtv.com/GreenBusiness.



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