Smith Electric Vehicles announced the purchase of two all-electric Smith Newton trucks by the United States Marine Corps, the first military organization to order Smith Newtons off the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule.

The trucks will be delivered to Camp Pendleton, Calif., the Corps' largest West Coast training facility, and home of the First Marine Expeditionary Force.

"We're proud to be part of the Marine Corps' efforts to create a cleaner environment and improve energy efficiency at Camp Pendleton," said Bryan Hansel, president and CEO of Smith Electric. "The Marines are setting a strong example for the other branches of our armed services as we all work together to address America's energy and efficiency concerns."

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 percent by 2015 and increase its reliance on renewable electrical energy to 25 percent 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 and offers end users battery ranges from 50 to 120 miles on a single charge -- ideal for base deliveries and personnel transport applications. Smith vehicles offer a payload of over 16,000 lb, and are powered by the latest in Lithium-ion battery cell technology, power management and direct drive trains. They produce zero emissions and are nearly silent.

Correction: When this article first ran, we incorrectly identified the GSA as the "Government Services Administration." The correct name of that federal agency is the General Services Administration. We apologise for any confusion this might have caused.

More info: www.smithelectric.com.