It’s the automaker’s first battery-powered commercial vehicle, and a key component of its strategy of electrifying popular and iconic vehicles
Ford Motor Co. on Thursday unveiled the E-Transit, a battery-electric version of its Transit cargo van that marks the automaker’s first commercial electric vehicle offering as it executes a strategy of electrifying its most popular and iconic nameplates. The E-Transit is scheduled for release in late 2021 for model year 2022. The Dearborn automaker has said it promises business customers increased vehicle uptime, a lower cost of ownership over the vehicle’s lifetime, and a host of data-driven services — all important factors for fleet operators looking to maximize productivity and efficiency. The automaker sees the E-Transit, as well as its other forthcoming EV offerings including the Mustang Mach-E and the electric F-150, as crucial steps in meeting its goal of being carbon-neutral by 2050. The E-Transit will offer customers a slew of data to help them better manage their fleets, individual vehicles and drivers. For example, it will be able to send reports to fleet managers on energy consumption and driver behavior, identify its driver, and provide in-cab coaching to improve driver performance, among other things. Fleet managers can monitor energy or manage vehicles using an app or on the web.
