Ford tests electric transporter e-transit in several countries

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Ford tests electric transporter e-transit in several countries-several

The new, full-electric transporter Ford e-transit rolls on the street. Because already – a few months before his official market launch in spring 2022 – start fleet customers field trials with the innovative lightweight commercial vehicle in real road traffic, as the automaker announced. For the users of the tests realized in several European countries, these are, for example, municipal fleets, beyond poststainers, utilities, parcel services and food suppliers. The test series start first with ten pre-series specimens.

The partners in Germany include the Cologne AWB waste management companies as well as the city administration Cologne. In addition, DHL Express in the United Kingdom, the Norwegian Post, the British Ocado Group and the Scandinavian Recover Nordic, the new e-transit over a period of six or twelve months are tested.

Different e-transit variants with a permissible total weight between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes are used as test vehicles, including chassis with cooling and suitcase structures, tipper and flatbed vehicles. The partially specialized conversions reflect the many complex requirements that Ford Transit deals have to fulfill in everyday working life.

“We want to show our customers that full-electrical commercial vehicles can increase their productivity and at the same time reduce the burden on the environment. In addition, we hope for feedback from the initial users so that we can still adapt details of the e-transit and can improve further. The almost familial proximity to our customers underlines the value we attach this practical test.”- Dave Petts, Market Lead, Urban Electrified Vans, Ford of Europe

The field trials mark the next phase in the development of the new Ford e-transit after the vehicle has already undergone demanding stress tests on Ford test premises as well as in technical facilities.

Ford tests electric transporter e-transit in several countries-testsford

The fully electric powertrain of the e-transit mobilizes according to enterprises a capacity of 198 kW (269 hp) and develops a torque of 430 nm. Its usable battery capacity of 67 kWh should help the vehicle to reach a range of up to 350 kilometers (WLTP). Ford assumes that the operating costs will be around 40 percent lower compared to similarly equipped transit models with internal combustion engine, which is due to lower maintenance costs, among other things,.

Specialized mounting and conversions for the electric transporter

To demonstrate the versatility of the new Ford e-transit, some of the test vehicles were converted with the support of the design manufacturers certified by Ford. For example, the following e-transit are used

  • With refrigerated suitcase for food transports included 2.3 kW Propower Onboard System
  • A trough tipper with weight sensors for use on construction sites
  • With box body and passage to the driver’s cab and air suspension for delivery services
  • With luggage composition and shelves in the hold and with passage to the driver’s cabin including an additional folding seat (Jump SEAT)

The current Ford e-transit test program follows earlier, according to Ford very successful practical tests with the then new Transit Custom Plug-in-Hybrid (PHEV). At that great attempts, representatively selected fleet customers in several European cities had a total of more than 240.000 kilometers covered with the plug-in hybrid commercial vehicles. For example, these real testing rides turned out that 75 percent of mileage in emission-free driving mode has been completed in London. Other tests in Cologne helped to demonstrate the benefits of an innovative geofencing technology that automatically changes in areas with particularly high air pollution in the emission-free mode of the vehicle to improve local air quality.

2020 was Ford the sixth year in a row European market leader in the segment of light commercial vehicles. This trend also continues 2021: In the first half of this year, no other manufacturer sold more slight commercial vehicles in Europe as Ford.

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3 thoughts on “Ford tests electric transporter e-transit in several countries”

  2. 350 km with 67 kWh. This does not correspond with the experiences from the EQV, which achieves real almost 400 km with moderate highway speed. And that is aerodynamic. That’s where maybe 220 km. Good enough to manage a working day as a craftsman. Not good enough to generate a motorhome version. And that’s a good thing, because campers are pests.

    Reply

  3. Interesting would still be the values for the maximum charging outputs.
    There could be a CCS charging option if I properly interpret the top photo.

    Reply

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