Ford debuted what could be one of the most impactful electric vehicles to ever hit the market. No, not the Mustang Mach-E, although that’s pretty sweet in and of itself. It’s the E-Transit, an all-electric version of their ultra popular Transit cargo van. This is going to change the world of last mile logistics.
If you’re in an urban area, think about all those FedEx, UPS and now Amazon delivery vans running around town. The gallons of gas and diesel that those chug through every day as they jump from house to house and business to business, spitting out emissions while crawling through neighborhoods and idling while the driver runs out throw that package on your doorstep, all of that could be gone!
The world’s best-selling cargo van is going electric, at least, some of them will be. E-Transit will still be sold alongside the current gas and diesel versions, but for those without long range driving needs, the E-Transit will definitely be worth a look.
Following the Transit playbook, the E-Transit will be available in cargo van, chassis cab and cutaway configurations. There will be 3 roof heights on offer, as well as 3 lengths.
Now, the first thing people want to know about electric vehicles is always, “What’s the range?” The E-Transit is equipped with a 67kWh of usable energy from its battery pack. That’s not terribly huge, a Tesla Model X has a 100 kWh battery. And then the range…. the E-Transit will achieve between 126 and 108 miles of range, depending on configuration/roof height, etc. Again, not range numbers that would make you think that this is something Earth shattering. Until you put all the pieces together.
Ford used analysis from current fleet customers (logging over 30 million miles of data) and determined that the average daily miles for these vans is under 80 miles. So the E-Transit should easily cover the large majority of these urban based needs. Also, batteries are super expensive, so why pay _____ more for range and capacity that a core set of customers will never utilize? In order to keep the price jump from gas/diesel to electric reasonable, Ford elected to put in a measured target on battery/range. Now, this again means it’ll be targeted primarily on urban market usage, but that also aligns with the greatest growth in where these vans are being used.
Full pricing hasn’t been released yet, but Ford noted that the base cutaway model would start under $45,000. The conventional cutaway model starts just over $30,000. So we’re potentially looking at a $14,000 premium, some of which may be eligible for any federal tax credits that may or may not be available by the time this comes to market. Those credits may also work differently for fleets and businesses. Ford also hasn’t announced any passenger versions as of yet for the E-Transit line. Additional operational savings will mitigate some of the initial cost as well. Lower fueling costs as well as lower maintenance needs/costs, so the vans would have less down time as well.
A large proportion of Transit vans are also equipped with all sorts of aftermarket racks/bins/dividers and upfitter solutions. Those can call carryover directly to the E-Transit. The move to electric had no impact to the interior space and architecture.
The E-Transit will also change the way you see these vans. Not just a giant shell, the E-Transit will have a full array of available advanced safety technologies like standard lane departure warning and automatic emergency front braking. Optional are tech items like a full 360 degree parking camera, blind spot detection and reverse braking assist. They are also wired up with a fully connected telematics platform for advanced fleet management, which also help track at home charging for any driver reimbursement! Inside there’s a standard 12″ Sync infotainment system!
The optional Pro Power Onboard, first seen on the F-150 Hybrid, will also be available here, providing mobile generator levels of power on site wherever you are.
So no, this new electric vehicle isn’t about sexy 0-to-60 times or for super long endurance driving, but we’re super excited for a major shift to quiet and emissions free last mile logistics here in Washington, D.C. and across the world! Although I still kind of wish the name was E-conoline in a nod to the Ford vans of the past…