Engineering Ford E-Transit to fit fleet needs
I've just had the privilege of participating in the Q&A session with journalists and key fleet customers following the reveal of the new E-Transit. Lots of great questions and clearly a great deal of interest in how the team went about developing the E-Transit.
Transit is the world’s biggest-selling cargo van. Over 55 years, 10 million customers globally have trusted a Transit to support their business. Their needs shaped our new, all-electric Ford E?Transit; a commercial vehicle built for zero-emissions driving to electrify our customers’ businesses.
We’ve been working on electrification with fleets since 2018, running case studies with Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrids across London, Cologne, Valencia and Ankara to understand how electrification could fit into different types of businesses. That data, from hundreds of thousands of kilometres of real-world use, fed into how we approached the development of E-Transit.
Range is fundamental. With up to 350 km (1) available between charges from a 67 kWh battery, E-Transit delivers enough capability to cope with a full day’s work and any diversions, changing conditions or heavy loads, without offering excess capacity that won’t pay for itself during the vehicle’s operational lifetime.
The sheer variety of Transits available is a key part of its success – and E-Transit is no different. We’re offering panel van, double-cab-in-van and single chassis cab body styles to suit all kinds of customer and converter uses in Europe. A further choice of three wheelbases, two roof heights and three GVMs gives a range of 25 variants, carrying the Transit’s reputation for legendary flexibility into the electric era.
That flexibility extends to E-Transit operation. Zero-emissions driving means businesses can benefit from unrestricted access to areas with low-emission zones or restrictions on diesel vehicles, as well as safe operation in enclosed spaces such as warehouses and loading bays. Night shifts are no problem either, because the E-Transit’s electric powertrain is whisper-quiet.
On site, work crews using E-Transit benefit from Pro Power Onboard. This is a unique-in-segment feature that delivers up to 2.3 kW to tools and equipment from the vehicle’s battery pack. It makes jobs on site easier and removes the need to carry a standalone generator. Pro Power Onboard can also charge tools on the move to save time on jobsites.
To find out more about E-Transit and discover how it can transform urban fleets, watch the European reveal video below.
(1) Officially homologated energy efficiency figures will be published closer to on-sale date. Targeted range and charge time based on manufacturer tested values and calculation according to the WLTP drive cycle. Actual range varies with conditions such as external elements, driving behaviours, vehicle maintenance, lithium-ion battery age and state of health.
The declared fuel/energy consumptions, CO2-emissions and electric range are determined according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EU) 2017/1151 as last amended. Light Duty Vehicle type-approved using the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) will have fuel/energy consumption and CO2-emission information for New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) and WLTP. WLTP will fully replace the NEDC latest by the end of the year 2020. The applied standard test procedures enable comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers. During NEDC phase-out, WLTP fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are being correlated back to NEDC. There will be some variance to the previous fuel economy and emissions as some elements of the tests have altered, so the same car might have different fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.