Electric Truck-maker to Build Kansas City Plant
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. March 26, 2009; The AP reported that a U.S.-British consortium plans to build an assembly plant in Kansas City to manufacture all-electric delivery vans.
Documents filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development say Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Corp. plans to employ up to 200 people within three years at the plant to be located initially at the Kansas City International Airport.
Using the codename "Project High Voltage," the letter said the company plans to invest an estimated $5 million in the plant.
A spokeswoman for chief executive officer Bryan Hansel said he was traveling Thursday and wasn't commenting on the letter.
A formal announcement of the plant is scheduled for Friday. Sen. Kit Bond and Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon are scheduled to appear.
Smith Electric, headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., is teaming up with the Ford Motor Co. and The Tanfield Group Plc in Britain to build the all-electric vans, to go on sale through Ford dealerships in 2010.
The Smith Newton, powered by rechargable lithium-ion electric batteries, will be able to travel up to 100 miles on a 6- to 8-hour charge. The vans, already in use in Europe, have a top speed of 50 mph and a payload of 16,280 pounds.
