Brown Industries, LLC
Brown Cargo Van | Brown Specialty Vehicles | Brown Rail Equipment
Brown Cargo Van builds truck bodies for school's all-electric fleet
Lee's Summit R-7 is first U.S. public school to use all-electric trucks for in-district deliveries
LAWRENCE, Kan. - August 9, 2010 - Brown and Smith are back in the transportation news.
Working together on eco-friendly delivery vehicles, Brown Cargo Van of Lawrence, Kan., and Smith Electric Vehicles of Kansas City, Mo., are building all-electric delivery trucks for the Lee's Summit (Mo.) R-7 School District. Keys for the first of four vehicles were handed to school district officials Aug. 4.
Lee's Summit will become the first public school district in the United States to operate an all-electric distribution fleet.
"As transportation specialists, we're pleased to partner with Smith to produce an environmentally friendly cargo van that serves our customers and models green technology for students," says Dane Jennison, Brown Cargo Van president.
In addition to savings on fuel and maintenance, the electric trucks will significantly decrease the fleet's carbon emissions and reduce truck noise within school zones and surrounding neighborhoods.
The vehicles, made for dry freight, will transport school supplies and cafeteria food products from the district's warehouse to schools and other facilities and will deliver mail between all R-7 facilities. Located in the Kansas City metropolitan area, the 117-square-mile district educated 17,000 students last year in 28 learning centers.
The Brown body is also eco-friendly. A high percentage of its parts are recyclable. It is equipped with extruded front ends and recessed LED (light emitting diode) lights. Safety and efficiency options are available on all Brown bodies.
"Our customers buy our product for a long-term investment. They're going to keep it for years," says sales director Ron Thomson of Brown Cargo Van.
Purchase of these trucks was supported by a $15 million U.S. Department of Energy Grant, administered by Metropolitan Energy Center's (MEC) Clean Cities program. Through this funding MEC has worked with public and private agencies in three states to deploy more than 300 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and more than 20 refueling and electric charge stations.
About Brown Cargo Van: Brown Cargo Van, a subsidiary of Brown Industries, LLC, manufactures custom cargo van bodies and trailers in Lawrence, Kan. Founded in 1946, Brown built the first aluminum dry freight cargo van body, now the industry standard. Besides dry freight and refrigerated van bodies, Brown also makes parcel vans, curtainside van bodies and trailers and unassembled van body kits. Brown was first in the country to offer fiberglass translucent roofs.