Ford revealed today that an all-electric Transit van is
coming in 2021. The announcement was made at the GoFurther event in Amsterdam but
Ford wasn’t too generous when it comes to details. The automaker said the
electric Transit is designed to deliver pure-electric power, reducing costs for
business and operators while contributing to cleaner, quieter towns and cities.
A camouflaged Transit All-Electric Concept took to
the stage in Amsterdam looking pretty much like your average Transit van. Ford
didn’t say it specifically but said vehicle is likely to be a pre-production
prototype. Besides “revealing” the camouflaged Transit All-Electric, Ford has
also released photos of another zero-emissions Transit. It’s called the Transit
All-Electric Smart Energy Concept and Ford uses it for testing purposes “to
further optimize the energy efficiency and driving range of its electrified
vehicles.”
The Transit Smart Energy Concept is a 10-seater
minibus that delivers a driving range of 150 km — just like the
Mercedes-Benz eSprinter equipped with the 55 kWh battery. Ford didn’t reveal
the battery capacity of its van but said the Transit chassis is “fitted with
battery-electric technology.” The automaker did say that charging the battery
takes four hours but didn’t get into specifics. It remains to be seen if the
150-km driving range and 4-hour charging time apply to the production
model as well.
While the camouflaged Transit All-Electric Concept
looks like your average Transit, the Transit All-Electric Smart Energy Concept
features unique styling cues such as a new grille, illuminated Ford logo in
blue, and “Electric” badges.
Inside, it features a massive tablet computer that
shows information such as battery charge level, energy consumption, and energy
source — allowing us to see that solar is listed as a source, likely courtesy
of roof-mounted panels. In total, there are four rows of seats for 9 passengers
in a bus-like configuration.
