Smith Electric Vehicles is expanding its U.S. manufacturing facilities into New York state. The new facility will manufacture the zero-emission Newton, an electric vehicle (EV) that has a range of up to 150 miles and boasts an average yearly operational cost that is one-third to one-half that of driving a fuel-powered vehicle. The new facility is expected to be operational by 2012 and provide jobs for up to 100 people.

“This expansion reflects an important step in executing Smith’s localized assembly, sales and service strategy,” said Bryan Hansel, CEO and chairman of Smith. “Our approach creates jobs, provides Smith customers with more localized support and significantly reduces the costs associated with shipping completed vehicles to our customers.”

Simultaneously to this announcement, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of a federally-funded multi-year commercial EV buyer incentive program aimed at commercial fleets. The five-year program will help companies in the state covert fleet vehicles to EVs. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has committed $10M in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funding for the first year. This will equate to an average of $20,000 voucher per vehicle.

Sam Ori, director of policy for the Electrification Coalition, added, “New York has shown tremendous leadership at the borough, city and state level in paving the way for commercial fleet electrification. This multi-year commercial EV incentive program is a strong example of the state’s commitment to accelerate deployment of this technology, which is critical for reducing U.S. oil dependence and enhancing long-term national and economic security.”

This will be Smith’s second US facility. The Kansas City, Missouri based company also have a manufacturing facility in Kansas City.