Ford will build an all-electric Transit van as part of its commitment to electrification, in which it is investing $11.5 billion, including gasoline-electric hybrid and battery-electric F-150 pickups. The electric Transit will be a 2022 model, meaning it should be available sometime in 2021, and will be offered in cargo van, cutaway, and cab-chassis versions, said Ted Cannis, director of global electrification.
Operating costs for an electric Transit “will be half or less than with an internal combustion engine, and will have constant uptime,” Cannis said. That’s because there’ll be no engine, cooling system, transmission, or other associated components to maintain. The van’s lithium-ion battery pack will be mounted below the floor, leaving complete space for cargo or, for the two variants, to add bodies that customers need for hauling tasks.
Ford is working with third-party suppliers to set up charging stations, and designing charging stations which customers can install at their home bases. The electric Transit will feature regenerative braking that will help contribute to the truck’s range, now anticipated to be 300 miles.
The electric Transit will be American-built, and like other Ford electric vehicles, will leverage components used in other vehicles to reduce costs, he said. Examples include the hybrid and electric F-150s, an all-electric Transit that will be sold in Europe, and the recently announced Mustang Mach-E SUV coming later this year.
Smart technology built into the electric Transit will help optimize fleet efficiency and reduce waste, as well as improve driver behavior by providing insights into operator performance, said Jim Farley, the company’s chief operating officer. Fleets can leverage insightful data collected through Ford Telematics using an embedded FordPass Connect modem featuring a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot with connectivity for up to 10 devices. Managers can use Ford Data Services tools like live map GPS tracking, geofencing and vehicle diagnostics to see at-a-glance key performance indicators at a glance for vehicle and driver.
A suite of Ford driver-assist technologies can help improve driver confidence and avoid or reduce the severity of a collision. The vehicle will include standard Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking plus Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning, PostCollision Braking, Lane-Keeping System and auto high-beam headlamps.
Cannis said design details for the vehicle, including placement of motors and other components, will be announced as production draws closer.
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Ford will build an all-electric Transit van, plus cutaway and cab-chassis variants, for the 2022 model year. Range is projected to be 300 miles. Transit is primarily a cargo van, but is also used in some vocational applications.
