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On Monday TNT Express put a Smith Newton electric 7.5-tonner on the road in central London and in a fortnight, Ceva Logistics will follow suit with its Starbucks-liveried version. The brain behind the world's cleanest 7.5-tonner is Washington-based electric vehicle specialist the Tanfield Group, but the vehicles were only built because of Ceva's general manager of technical services Richard Catley and TNT's national engineering manager Steve Davis. These are the men who saw the potential for emission-free  7.5-tonners on London's streets, so contacted The Tanfield Group to see if such a vehicle could be built. Catley and Davis tell MT how they have struggled to find any environmentally-friendly vehicles that suit their requirements. Catley says: "We have looked at so many ideas, but everything has had an operational handicap - until now. This is the first product we have found that can slot into our fleet without much change." The Ceva truck will be based in Basildon, Essex, and will be used to service a Starbucks contract. "Like many blue-chip companies Starbucks has strong environmental policies," says Catley, "and when I suggested the Newton it jumped at the idea". It will travel into central London on a daily basis, making about a dozen deliveries on its 100-mile route.

The TNT Express truck will be based at Barking, and will embark on a daily 40-mile round trip to central London. Although it will cover fewer miles than the Ceva truck, it will make about 60 drops  per day. It is no coincidence that both companies have chosen London routes, because as well as having environmental benefits, the trucks also have money-saving potential. They are exempt from the congestion charge and can also be parked for free in Westminster. Other incentives for running an electric vehicle include road tax exemption, an immunity from tachographs and other O-licence requirements and no need for an MoT. However the latter will have no bearing on TNT Express or Ceva, as both will treat the truck like a regular 7.5-tonner when it comes to maintenance. Running costs will also be lower than a conventional truck, with Smith Electric Vehicles' sales director Kevin Harkin estimating the TNT vehicle to cost 7p per mile and the Ceva 10p per mile - the latter having six batteries as opposed to four. He says despite costing twice as much as a conventional 7.5-tonner, the Newton will easily pay for itself within five years.

Harkin also points out that the trucks have the advantage of being virtually maintenance-free, and because they are considered to be cars by the chancellor, from an asset point of view a company can write down 100% of the value in the first year. There are disadvantages to running an electric truck, such as the lower payload. The Newton has a 200kg penalty over a conventional Avia, and that's with the use of lightweight Omnia panelling on the bodies. But it is important to stress that these are prototypes and that production vehicles will be lighter. The other issue is the limited range. The Newton will tackle up to 130 miles on an eight-hour charge, but its sodium-nickel chloride batteries aren't capable of anything more. This will increase in the near future though. The Tanfield Group is experimenting with lithium ion batteries, which should push the range to 200 miles after only a one-hour charge. Both men are delighted with the Newtons and say more electric vehicles may follow if these prove successful on the road. Davis reckons electric trucks could potentially be used on 200 of TNT Express' UK routes, "but as the technology improves and the range increases, so this number will rise," he says.

On the road with Smith Newton

Despite the Smith badge on the grille, there is no mistaking the donor vehicle as a Czech-built Avia. The truck maker is not a partner in this project, but supplies rolling chassis to The Tanfield Group. So from the driver's seat it looks and feels exactly like an Avia, which is no bad thing. It means you get a modern, spacious cab with great visibility and a well-designed dashboard. At the moment the Newton uses the Avia dials, too, with the addition of a bolt-on digital display. This will eventually be incorporated into the dashboard. To start the truck you simply turn the key, at which point the dashboard lights are illuminated. This is the only clue that the truck is ready to go. Next you select Drive with the automatic gear lever, and away you go. The most prominent sounds in the Ceva truck are the steering pump and suspension components - both of which are normally drowned out by the sound of a diesel engine.

Performance was vastly better than we had expected. Electric engines don't have a torque curve, so peak power is reached as soon as you touch the accelerator. O-15mph is surprisingly quick and it doesn't take long to reach 50mph either - although both vehicles will be limited to 40mph in operation. It begins to run out of puff on the steepest hills - but there aren't too many of these in central London. The regenerative braking, which slows the vehicle whenever you take your right foot off the pedal, is a great feature. Not only does it virtually make the service brakes redundant, but it also recharges the batteries. This has to be the world's most relaxing 7.5-tonner to drive, not only because your left leg and arm have nothing to do, but because of the silence. Sitting in a traffic jam (and they will do lots of that in London) is a strangely relaxing experience with no sound or vibration. Our only concern is that the Newton might be too quiet - resulting in pedestrians walking out in front of it. TNT say it is aware of this issue and may even consider adding noise.

The future's green at Tanfield

Smith Electric Vehicles is confident of the success of its Newton and is already experiencing a high demand for the product. Another 13 chassis are about to go into build at its new Washington plant - although the company remains tight-lipped as to who has purchased them. Harkin tells MT that the range is about to be expanded, too, with a 12-tonner and an urban artic on the horizon. And you can expect to see a 3.5-tonne van launched at this year's CV Show, too.