In our family, we have a debate going: My wife, Janis, wants to buy an electric car to drive around our city, but I'm concerned that the technology is not yet developed enough for us to chance it. I believe, as the saying goes, there is a fine line between the leading edge and the bleeding edge of technology. I still remember being one of the first people in my “circle” to buy a quadraphonic stereo. Don't remember those? Well, that's my point. On the other hand, I procrastinated and was one of the last people to switch from VHS to DVD. So, it can be a bit tricky to know just when to embrace a new technology.
But this week, Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. took a major step forward in making electric transportation commercially viable by supplying their new Smith Newton electric-powered trucks to Frito-Lay, AT&T, Kansas City Power & Light and other U.S. manufacturers. Mike O’Connell, Frito-Lay’s Director of National Fleet Capability, and Steve Hanson, Fleet Sustainability Manager at Frito-Lay, attended the vehicle delivery ceremony in Washington D.C. on Tuesday (pictured at left in front of an electric truck).
These electric-powered trucks are quite innovative for commercial fleet systems, and are more environmentally-friendly than many traditional vehicles. According to the EPA, carbon dioxide emissions from gas-powered vehicles are a major source of green house gases, but the electric-powered trucks don’t release such emissions, so there is a reduction in green house gases.
The Smith Electric trucks can travel up to 100 miles on one battery charge, have a top speed of 50 mph, and take only 8 hours to recharge a truck’s battery. And, while they are more expensive to purchase than gas-powered trucks, the operating costs can be 80 percent lower. If you couple this reduction in costs with the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, this is truly a sustainable innovation for fleet.
At Frito-Lay, we’ve been actively innovating to develop and implement more environmental sustainability solutions that power our operations, especially with our fleet. Our progress this year includes rolling-out more than 1,200 fuel efficient Sprinter vehicles, and now partnering with Smith Electric to purchase all-electric zero-emission delivery vans to add to our fleet system.
Who knows, maybe Janis and I will buy our own electric car. If you've thought about or have purchased an electric car, what tips can you give Janis and me?
On a personal note, on Monday, Janis and I welcomed our fifth grandson to the world -- Jackson (pictured at right at one-hour-old). Although he was born three weeks premature, he weighed a healthy six pounds and he and his mom are both doing well. Fortunately, Janis and I were in Phoenix, Ariz., helping take care of our two eldest grandsons, Nicholas and Connor, while our daughter (Jackson's mom, Kristen) was on bed rest. So, we got to meet Jackson a few minutes after he was born.
Our grandchildren are such a blessing, and we consider ourselves very fortunate. Yet, after being blessed with five grandsons, Janis would now like a granddaughter. (She is already buying baby girl clothes!). No pressure on our other three kids, right?
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