... while future is uncertain for Smith's Newton
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THE FUTURE OF Smith Electric Vehicles' battery-electric Newton looks uncertain following the closure of Avia Trucks, the Prague, Czech Republic, supplier of the vehicle's chassis-cab.
Avia's parent company, Ashok Leyland of India, ceased production at the Prague plant at the end of last month, citing the global recession as the main reason for the closure.
As a glider chassis (ie without engine) Avia's D-line is the basis of Smith's 6.4-tonne to 12-tonne GVW battery-powered Newton.
As a glider chassis (ie without engine) Avia's D-line is the basis of Smith's 6.4-tonne to 12-tonne GVW battery-powered Newton.
The closure of Avia Trucks has also scuppered fledgling Stoke-on-Trent-based Longton Avia (UK).
Company owner Jon Beech and his two fellow directors launched the firm in April 2012 in an attempt to resurrect sales and distribution of Avia trucks in the UK, after a previous importer pulled out in 2010. They had recruited a 30-plus network of UK dealers and, if
sales had picked up as hoped, the company had outlined plans to assemble the trucks in Stoke-on-Trent from completely knockeddown kits shipped in from Prague.
"We don't really know where we go from here," said commercial director Jonathan Dale, one of Longton Avia (UK)'s three founders. "Communication hasn't been a strong point with Ashok Leyland. It said it might re-instigate D-line production in India in the future. We are technically still alive as a company, but we are not a viable business — we don't have a truck to sell."
Dale said that Longton Avia (UK) should have supplied 15 trucks in the UK so far, but production delays meant that only six were delivered.
"There were three in build when the plant in Prague was closed," he added.
CM was unable to get a response from Smith Electric at the time of going to press.