Zoomi Life

We’ve talked about electric and hydrogen-powered big trucks before, of course. There are some updates on what’s happening with the new wave of greener, electric-based trucking now. One goes into production and gets lithium batteries and the other is a new concept based on another design.

Read More: Big Rigs Going Electric - Freightliner and Balqon

Starting this July, Smith Electric Vehicles U.S., in partnership with the Ford Motor Company, will begin building electric trucks at a new plant near the Kansas City International Airport. The trucks, which we’ve covered before, are ideal for the electric truck delivery market.

Read More: Ford and Smith Electric to Build EV Delivery Vans in Kansas (w/ Video)

A lot of exciting news has happened regarding corporate partnerships and alliances over the past week or so. Volkswagen and BYD, Daimler and Tesla, and others. Car makers are entering the new era of auto manufacturing by taking a lesson from the tech sector: you can’t do it all alone anymore.

Read More: BYD Gains VW As Partner, Ford May Follow - Other Partnerships Also In the Works

Back in March, we reported on Ford’s team-up with Smith Electric Vehicles to build the Ford Transit EV as a commercial delivery van for the U.S. market. Ford also plans to produce the same van with a diesel motor on a heavier chassis for harsher work loads.

Read More: Ford Transit EcoNetic Commercial Heavy Duty Van To Get 32.6mpg

Ford and Smith Electric Vehicles have announced plans to work together to build commercial battery electric vehicles at a new manufacturing site located in Kansas City. Smith plans to use a recently-purchased portion on an overhaul base located at Kansas City International Airport as a factory to convert Ford Transit Connect vans to its BEV platform later this year.

Read More: Ford Partners with Smith Electric Vehicles to Build Commercial EVs

Smith Electric Vehicles have come to the U.S. and were featured at The World Truck Show in Chicago. Industry professionals and purchasers got the chance to try the trucks out and several of them agreed to do short video interviews with AutoBlogGreen afterwards.

Read More: VIDEO: Smith Electric Utility Trucks Get Tested in Chicago

Ford is the only one of the Big 3 Automakers to refuse bailout funds from the government. There may be many reasons for that, but the easiest to point to are: of the 3, they have the least amount of losses in recent years and they also have a better track record for reconstituting themselves after bad times.

Read More: Ford’s Quiet Electric Future

Touting it as the world’s first fuel cell tractor, New Holland has introduced the NH2 fuel cell tractor, debuting it in Turin, Italy. The tractor is based on the chassis of the T6000 and puts out an impressive 105hp.

Read More: New Holland Unveils Fuel Cell Tractor

OK, only half of that is true. This garbage truck in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England has no Flux Capacitor (or 1.21 GIGAWATTS!), but it is powered by garbage. Not directly, of course, but still literally.

Read More: Garbage Truck Powered by Garbage… and Flux Capacitor

Showcased at the Electric Drive Transportation Association’s 2008 conference, this Ford Transit van converted to plug-in electric by Smith Electric (they’re calling the conversion the “Edison”) has some great potential for local delivery.

Read More: Smith Electric’s “Edison” Electric Ford Transit Van