The Ford E-Transit, an electric van, is poised to have a seismic effect on the auto industry. Find out why Ford’s E-Transit, due to be released in 2022, is turning heads in the EV fleet race!
Ford’s E-Transit has the attention of industry insiders
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While the unveiling of EV pickups and newly developed electric motors rated for drag racing have been grabbing up headlines, Ford has quietly unveiled a vehicle that is poised to be a bigger game changer than both of these combined. The E-Transit van, currently undergoing customer trials ahead of a planned spring 2022 release, will make the kind of global impact that most vehicle designs can’t even dream of.
The E-Transit is basically an EV version of Ford’s existing internal combustion van, the best-selling Transit. It has comparable cargo capacity, options, and performance, sporting a maximum range of 125 miles. The battery itself is fitted beneath the floor, meaning no cargo space is eaten up. And for fans of the F-150 hybrid, the E-Transit’s battery can pull double duty as a generator.
What makes the E-Transit a potential paradigm shift is the fact that many delivery giants, including Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and our very own USPS, are looking to purchase them for fleets.
The E-Transit is basically an EV version of Ford’s existing internal combustion van, the best-selling Transit.
It’s easy to see why. With climate change an increasing concern, it’s an easy PR win for these organizations. It’s also a practical move: the E-Transit’s slightly-higher price tag is more than offset in the long term with savings on fuel. With a couple solar panels, a warehouse could operate its delivery vehicles for almost nothing. EVs are ideally suited for stop-and-go city driving, the exact conditions under which these delivery vans operate.
As with any significant shift in the adoption of technology, when a big company takes the leap, the ripples effect us all. And, not to belabor a metaphor, but leapers don’t get much bigger than Amazon. With Amazon’s vans out on the road and possibly needing midday charges, it would be easy to imagine Jeff Bezos using his considerable influence to lobby for more charging stations. More charging stations means one of the chief concerns customers have when buying EVs becomes a thing of the past.
Lastly, the more tech is used, the more it improves. Look for advances in range—incidentally one of the biggest concerns of an EV buyer—to be addressed first. Others will likely follow.
The Ford E-Transit’s adoption by the biggest delivery fleets in the world is going to have a huge effect on everything downstream, from climate, to technology, to infrastructure. And best of all, this opens up a new avenue for dealers looking to capitalize with their own EV markets.
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