Electricity company Western Power Distribution (WPD) is greening its fleet after switching some of its service and maintenance vans to battery power.

The electricity distribution network operator has deployed electric vans in Plymouth and Cardiff. If trials of the first two vehicles are successful, WPD will look at introducing more battery-powered vans into its fleet.

John Brooks, WPD’s transport manager said: “The first two vans have settled in well and we continue to evaluate their performance. If they meet all our expectations we will look at rolling out more electric vans across our fleet.”

The Smith Edison panel van is a pure electric version of the Ford Transit that is driven by an electric motor and powered by lithium-ion batteries.

Designed and built in the UK by Smith Electric Vehicles, Edison has a top speed of 50mph and a range of up to 80 miles on a single battery charge. A full recharge takes six to eight hours.