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Ford is bringing its E-Transit, the first major EV cargo van to market in 2021 and if everything they’re promising comes true it’s going to change the game.
Electrified Deliveries
In 2021, we’ll see the 2022 Ford E-Transit take over short distance workloads across the country. That’s huge news on a number of fronts. No other automaker seems to be as close to the market as Ford is to bringing a full-sized EV cargo van to the public. Part of the issue lies in packaging and efficiency. Cargo van buyers need a large cargo space, so Ford had to be very careful not to take away any of that room. In addition, they needed to ensure that the battery pack is big enough and the motors strong enough to handle the payload capacity that most cargo vans need. All while managing to arrive with enough range to get through at least a full day’s work. Let’s take a deep dive into how Ford is planning to achieve these goals in concert.
Range, Power, and Pricing
Arriving on the market with a base price of just $45,000, the E-Transit should be a viable option for most medium to small businesses that need an in-town cargo van. The 67 kWh battery pack provides a maximum of 126 miles of range through a 266 horsepower, 317 lb-ft of torque motor. For the average consumer, Ford estimates they drive less than 80 miles each day, so this powerplant should be more than sufficient to handle the job. In addition, the motor is powerful enough to handle a maximum payload capacity of 3,800 lbs. That’s a huge bump over the smaller Transit Connect. We like the smaller Transit Connect, but we’re even more excited by the opportunities this new E-Transit opens up.
E-Transit Doesn’t Lose Features Like Others
Just like the internal combustion engined Transit vans, the E-Transit will come with three roof heights, three body lengths, as well as chassis cab and cutaway models. What’s incredible is that the available features are virtually unchanged from the regular version. Customers will still have the option to add racks and other auxiliary parts to better tailor their E-transit to their workload. The EV model will even have regular electrical outlets for tools and other accessories to be plugged into at potential job sites. The Sync4 infotainment system is a standard feature of the interior, and a welcome one at that. A special DriverID system will allow each driver to connect with the Transit in a more personalized way too. It will even allow management teams to determine which driver may need more coaching on getting the most out of the van.
E-Transit Can Be A Game-Changer
Just imagine the savings for a company that goes from newish cargo vans to these. The up-front costs are only slightly higher for the E-Transit, but the maintenance and fueling savings are considerably improved. No more will companies have to keep an eye on oil-changes and specific mileage maintenance periods. Ford even says that a wireless network will help you keep track of which of your vans is in need of a charge remotely. This way you can bring one E-Transit home and swap it out with another that’s ready to continue down the road. If the 2022 E-Transit can actually achieve each of these targets and goals, it could certainly be a dramatic improvement on the current state of old gas guzzling cargo vans on our roads today.
