Ford Launching Electric Transit Connect in 2010
February 9, 2009 by admin
The first product in Ford’s new electric vehicle plan will be a battery electric-powered version of the Transit Connect commercial vehicle. Ford is collaborating with Smith Electric Vehicles to bring the electric Transit Connect to market in North America in 2010.
Ford is very excited about electric vehicles and planned to introduce a Transit Connect EV when the company’s viability plan was submitted to Congress in December. Since then, there has been a lot of speculation about which vehicle would form the basis for the new EV, with most indicators pointing at either the Transit or Transit Connect. Part of the reason for that is that Smith Electric Vehicles of the UK has already developed battery-powered versions of both of those models.
The conventional Ford Transit Connect is built on a dedicated front-wheel drive commercial vehicle platform, targeted at small business owners and entrepreneurs. To prepare the Transit Connect, introduced in Europe in 2003, for the needs of small businesses in the United States, Ford upgraded the powertrain to a Duratec 2.0-liter dual-overhead cam (DOHC) four-cylinder gasoline engine and a four-speed automatic overdrive transaxle.
At the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford unveiled an accelerated plan to bring next-generation hybrid-electric (HEV); a plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV); and battery-electric (BEV) vehicles to market quickly during the next four years.
The battery electric-powered version of Ford’s global Transit Connect commercial vehicle will be the first vehicle offered as part of the plan, and will go on sale in 2010. The electric Transit Connect will have a range of about 100 miles.
“The new Transit Connect light commercial vehicle with battery electric power represents the next logical step in our pursuit of even greater fuel economy and sustainability.” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development.
Ford will introduce the following EV models in North America over the next four years:
- The Transit Connect battery electric commercial vehicle in 2010
- A new battery electric small car in 2011
- Next-generation hybrid vehicles in 2012
- Plug-in hybrid versions in 2012
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