AT&T Rolls Out Missouri-Based Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corporation's All-Electric Vehicle, Slated to Service St. Louis, Missouri, Area
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
ST. LOUIS, March 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T* today announced that its first all-electric cargo truck, the Smith Newton, is now servicing the St. Louis, Missouri, area as part of AT&T's commercial fleet. The vehicle – recognized as the world's largest electric battery-powered truck – will also appear in St. Louis, from March 10-12, 2010, at the 46th Annual National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Convention and Work Truck Show 2010. The rollout of the Smith Newton comes on the heels of yesterday's announcement that AT&T will be one of the first purchasers of the Ford Transit Connect Electric, the first fully-electric commercial vehicle to be widely sold in the United States. Both vehicles will be on display at the 2010 NTEA show – the Ford Transit Connect Electric in Ford's booth #1779, and the Smith Newton at booth # 4650.
The Smith Newton provides AT&T with a new alternative fuel option. The zero-tailpipe-emission Smith Newton runs free of normal engine noise and vibration, and it stores electric energy through a process called regenerative braking. AT&T first accepted the keys to the Smith Newton in 2009, and is now using the truck primarily to transport cargo to various AT&T locations within its St. Louis service territory.
"We are focused on driving down our dependence on imported sources of fuel and are open to alternative fuel resources that can reliably power our expanding fleet," said Jerome Webber, vice president, AT&T Fleet Operations. "This is an investment that will pay off by reducing our emissions and boosting our fuel savings, and we're proud to take these first steps in Missouri."
AT&T operates more than 77,000 vehicles in its commercial fleet. The Smith Newton and – by the end of 2010 – the Ford Transit Connect Electric – are part of a $565 million planned investment announced in March 2009. AT&T expects to spend an estimated $350 million to purchase about 8,000 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, and approximately $215 million to replace 7,100 fleet passenger cars with alternative-fuel models. According to the Center for Automotive Research, this planned deployment of CNG and hybrid electric vehicles will:
*
Save 49 million gallons of gasoline over the
10-year deployment period
* Reduce carbon emissions by 211,000 metric
tons
In addition to
making its own fleet more efficient, AT&T
is helping customers operate their commercial
fleets more efficiently through a variety of
fleet management products and services. Using
AT&T's nationwide mobile broadband network
and GPS solution providers, AT&T provides
fleet managers with the ability to actively
manage their vehicles, increase efficiency and
reduce fuel and insurance costs. AT&T's own
technician vehicles are equipped with similar
GPS capabilities, which have provided increased
visibility into business operations and allowed
AT&T to improve efficiency and reduce
costs.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest 3G network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. AT&T offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse(SM) and AT&T | DIRECTV(SM) brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T's Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations are known for their leadership in directory publishing and advertising sales. In 2009, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE® magazine's list of the World's Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.