Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) formally introduced its electric Transit van Wednesday morning through a virtual global unveiling.
The E-Transit, which will debut as a 2022 model-year vehicle, offers users, including last-mile delivery operations and contractors, an electric vehicle van option. And at a $45,000 starting price, the van is priced at just a small premium over a gasoline Transit model.
“Ford is North America and Europe’s commercial truck and van leader, so the transition of fleet vehicles to zero emissions, especially for the fast-growing last-mile delivery segment, is critical to achieve our carbon neutrality goal by 2050,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “Ford is ready to lead the charge, starting with the all-electric Transit and all-electric F-150 on the way. This is good for the planet and a huge advantage for customers to help lower their operating costs and provide connected fleet management technologies that will help their businesses.”
The E-Transit will come with an estimated range of 126 miles for its low-roof cargo van model. It is a range that Ford said was influenced by 30 million miles of customer telematics data that helped it identify the right range based on most fleets’ needs.
“This makes E-Transit ideal for commercial customers who know their drive routes and often work in urban environments,” said Ted Cannis, Ford North America general manager of commercial business. “Affordability is key, and our customers buy only what they need to get the job done. E-Transit provides ample range at a price that makes the transition to electric easy. And Ford is just getting started.”
The vehicle’s useful battery capacity is 67 kilowatt-hours. Its motor can plug into a 120-volt outlet for slow charging or a 240-volt outlet for faster charging. On a 115-plus-kilowatt DC fast charger, E-Transit cargo van low-roof models can achieve approximately 30 miles of range in 10 minutes and approximately 45 miles of range in 15 minutes. When plugged into a 240-volt outlet, E-Transit cargo van low-roof models achieve approximately 10 miles per charging hour using the Ford Mobile Charger. Employing a Ford Connected Charge Station brings the number up to approximately 15 miles per charging hour.
Ford offers an in-home (or business) Connected Charge Station that can fully recharge the E-Transit in eight hours.
The vehicle offers a special Pro Power Onboard option that essentially turns the E-Transit into a mobile generator. The option provides up to 2.4 kilowatts of power to operate jobsite tools.
The E-Transit’s battery is located underneath the vehicle body, providing up to 487.3 cubic feet of cargo space inside the high-roof, extended wheelbase model. The maximum payload in the U.S. is 3,800 pounds, down slightly from the 4,500 pounds of the 2020 gas model. Cutaway versions of the van will offer up to 4,290-pound payload capacity.
The electric motor offers 266 horsepower/198 kilowatts of power and 317 pounds-feet of torque across all eight configurations (three roof heights, three lengths, chassis cab and cutaway models).
Ford is equipping the E-Transit with a host of standard features, including a 4G LTE modem with available data subscriptions and seamless connectivity for commercial fleet operations through Ford Telematics and Ford Data Services.
E-Transit also offers SYNC 4 communications and entertainment technology featuring a standard 12-inch touchscreen, plus enhanced voice recognition and cloud-enhanced navigation through Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology.
Standard safety features include adaptive cruise control with speed sign recognition and intelligent speed assist, which together identify speed limits and automatically change the vehicle speed accordingly. It also includes a lane-keeping system and pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking. Available features include a blind spot information system with blind spot assist, a 360-degree camera and reverse brake assist.
Ford is offering certain remote features, including vehicle pre-conditioning, which optimizes the cabin temperature while E-Transit is plugged in to improve battery efficiency, and charging reports for fleet managers who may want to reimburse charging costs for drivers who bring their vans home at night.
Ford said scheduled maintenance costs for the van are 40% lower over eight years or 100,000 miles than those for a 2020 gas-powered Transit.
The E-Transit is part of Ford’s $11.5 billion investment in electrification technologies through 2022. The company is introducing an electric F-150 pickup for 2022 and its electric Mustang, the Mach-E, is due to hit dealers’ lots before the end of this year.
Click for more FreightWaves articles by Brian Straight.
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