Ford’s all-electric E-Transit van has begun customer trials in Europe within major fleets operating in Germany, Norway and the UK.
In preparation for the spring 2022 launch, ten E-Transit prototypes are undergoing intensive real-world trials with key operators in the postal, municipal and utilities, last mile and grocery delivery sectors.
The trial will be relevant for the entire E-Transit lineup as it features many variants including van, double-cab-in-van, chassis cab conversions with box van, refrigerated box, tipper, and dropside bodies. Ford plans to offer 25 E-Transit configurations in Europe.
Among the trial partners are AWB waste disposal, Balfour Beatty, the City of Cologne municipal fleet, DHL Express, DPD, Norwegian Post, Ocado, and Recover Nordic. These companies will operate the E-Transit over six- or 12-month periods. The trials mark the latest phase in the development of the new E-Transit, following an intensive testing program at Ford proving grounds and engineering facilities.
Dave Petts, Ford of Europe’s market lead, urban electrified vans said, “Real-world mileage in customer hands provides valuable feedback on usage patterns and charging behaviour so that we can refine the operating experience.”
The Ford E-Transit is suitable for payloads of up to 1,616 kg for the van and up to 1,967 kg for the chassis cab models. The electric motor, which Ford claims to be the most powerful motor of any all-electric cargo van sold in Europe, has a peak output of 198 kW and 430 Nm of torque. The motor is powered by a battery with a usable capacity of 67 kWh, enabling an estimated driving range of up to 350 km on the combined WLTP cycle.
