Electric vehicle startup Smith Electric Vehicles will open its third U.S. facility in Chicago after Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced plans to use a federal anti-pollution grant to create more customers for the batteries and electric vehicles that Smith Electric plans to manufacture here.
“I’m proud to welcome another growing company with a great mission to Chicago. Soon hundreds of Chicagoans will be able to put their skills to use providing businesses worldwide with high-quality, zero-emission, American-made vehicles,” said Mayor Emanuel. “Smith Electric Vehicles is an innovative company in a forward-looking, essential industry that is a central part of Chicago’s economic future.”
Chicago will be Smith’s third location in the United States, joining the headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., and a manufacturing facility in New York City.
The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced a $15-million incentive program that will encourage companies and individuals to modernize their fleets and convert to electric vehicles. The first of its kind in the US, this plan rewards fleets on an increasing scale for replacing their most diesel-consuming vehicles.
Smith produces trucks for multiple industries, including food & beverage, utility, telecommunications, retail, grocery, parcel and postal delivery, school transportation, military and government.
Smith’s customers include many of the world’s largest fleet operators, including PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, FedEx, Staples, TNT, Sainsbury’s, Coca-Cola, DHL, and the U.S. Military.
Additionally, the Chicago Department of Transportation announced a $15 million incentive program that will encourage companies and individuals to modernize their fleets and convert to electric vehicles.
The City is also considering additional incentives such as preferential loading zones and decreased registration costs to complement the voucher program.
Chicago has helped deploy 159 compressed natural gas livery/taxi vehicles and 223 alternative fuel stations, including 17 CNG and 202 electric vehicle charging stations.
These vehicles and stations have displaced 200,000 barrels of oil and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2,850 tons, Smith Electric said.
