Ford has just started production of the
StreetScooter Work XL, an all-electric commercial van that will be used by
Deutsche Post. The StreetScooter could very well prove to be first in a
commercial vehicle revolution.
Ford will initially build 3500 units of the
StreetScooter Work XL at its manufacturing site in Cologne, Germany. The
vehicle is powered by a bespoke battery-electric drivetrain and has a payload
of up to 1275 kg.
A number of different electric motor and battery
configurations will be sold with the StreetScooter, the most powerful of which
will have 120 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque. Battery capacity sits at 76 kWh,
enough for a 200 km working range.
The automaker says each electric van will reduce CO2
emissions by 5 tonnes each year and save 1,900 liters of fuel. It’s not just
these reductions which make the StreetScooter Work XL important; it could also
help to accelerate the development and implementation of such vehicles from
other manufacturers.
While some private car owners remain unconvinced by
electric vehicles and are still often dissuaded by their high price tags and
somewhat limited range, many commercial operators believe they are the way
forward. Not only can the added costs of EVs be better offset by big
corporations with large operating fleets, but electric vehicles, particularly
delivery vans, could prove to be one of the only means of getting items to
large city centers that may soon ban ICE-powered vehicles.
