• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • South Korean Brands Get Bigger Share of January Sales
  • Investors Unfazed as Tesla Reveals New SEC Probe
  • GM and Lithium Americas Partner for U.S.-Sourced Lithium
  • First Look: 2024 Range Rover Velar
  • Q&A: Mazda North America’s CEO Jeff Guyton
  • Tesla Owners Stung by Capitalism
  • Mercedes Updates GLE Models for 2024 Model Year
  • First Look: Mazda’s Bigger, More Luxurious New CX-90
  • GM Net Income Rises for Q4 But Falls for Full Year 2022
  • GMC Launches Production of Hummer SUV; Needs Until 2024 to Fill Outstanding Orders
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Kia Niro EV
    • A Week With: 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8
    • First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport
    • A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
    • A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis GV60 Performance
    • A Week With: 2023 Chevrolet Suburban Z71
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automakers > Ford Confirms Plans for All-Electric Transit Van

        Ford Confirms Plans for All-Electric Transit Van

        Delivery vehicle joins growing line-up of all-electric models, including Mustang Mach-E.

        Paul A. Eisenstein
        Paul A. Eisenstein , Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
        March 05, 2020
        Ford expects to have the all-electric version of its big Transit van in production by the 2022 model-year.

        (This story has been updated to reflect the fact Ford will do the Transit’s development entirely in-house.)

        Ford Motor Co. has confirmed that it will add an all-electric version of its big delivery van, the Transit, starting in the 2022 model-year.

        It will join an expanding line-up of all-electric models from the second-largest Detroit automaker, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E and all-electric version of the F-150 pickup. Ford had previously offered a plug-in hybrid Transit in some markets and originally signaled it would have a long-range, battery-powered version of the van ready by 2020.

        “Commercial vehicles are a critical component to our big bet on electrification,” said Ford Chief Operating Officer Jim Farley. “As leaders in this space, we are accelerating our plans to create solutions that help businesses run better, starting with our all-electric Transit and F-150. This Ford Transit isn’t just about creating an electric drivetrain, it’s about designing and developing a digital product that propels fleets forward.”

        (GM wants Wall Street’s love – and Tesla’s stock price — but will its bold EV plan win over investors?)

        The auto industry, on the whole, is moving aggressively when it comes to electrification. On Wednesday, General Motors showed off an array of battery-powered models it is developing, including three that will reach market within the next 12 to 18 months. There’s a particularly strong push in the commercial space, including heavy-duty trucks, but some of the biggest interest comes within the delivery sector where vehicles travel relatively short to medium distances every day but spend lots of time idling.

        The Transit van arrived in the U.S. in 2014.

        Ford has seen a 33% growth in its truck and fleet sales since 2015, the automaker noted in an announcement of the new project, its total van sales in the U.S. alone last year totaling 240,549 – a number including other models such as the smaller Transit Connect. The automaker said it expects electric vehicle to grow to 8% of the industry by 2025.

        “The world is heading toward electrified products and fleet customers are asking for them now,” added Farley. “We know their vehicles operate as a connected mobile business and their technology needs are different than retail customers.”

        Ford did not provide any technical details on the electric version of the Transit. However, a spokesman told TheDetroitBureau.com the project will be done entirely “in-house.” There had been some speculation it might seek assistance from Rivian. Ford has committed over $11.5 billion to electrification through 2022, a figure that includes a $500 million investment in that Detroit start-up, which is developing its own electric pickup and SUV models. Rivian will assist Ford’s Lincoln brand in developing a new electric SUV, it was confirmed earlier this year.

        Separately, Rivian is developing an all-electric delivery truck for Amazon, the online retailer being another major investor in the EV start-up.

        (Rivian and Amazon provide first peek at their new electric van.)

        It appears Ford will modify the existing Transit van, finding ways to bury the battery pack and motors below the load floor to minimize any loss of cargo space, it does have other options.

        Former CEO Mark Fields originally signaled an all-electric version of the Transit would reach the U.S. by 2020.

        Ford also confirmed the electric van will be produced in the U.S. but left unsaid how much range it will get per charge. In January 2017, former Ford CEO Mark Fields first confirmed plans to bring such a vehicle to market, stating that it “will be a breakthrough vehicle for Ford, given its extended range and the versatility people love about SUVs.”

        At the time, it was to be one of 13 electrified vehicles from Ford – including various hybrids, as well as all-electric models, with the company committing $4.5 billion to the effort. The program changed radically, the investment growing sharply, after Fields was replaced by CEO Jim Hackett in May of that year.

        The electric Transit was then expected to reach showrooms by 2020 and offer range of around 300 miles per charge.

        Along with its electrified drivetrain, the final version of the electric Ford Transit will feature an array of new technologies, including advance driver assistance systems such as forward collision warning and assist, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and automatic lane-keeping. There also will be a 4G LTE hotspot making it possible to integrate connectivity features appealing to fleet managers, including live vehicle tracking and remote diagnostics.

        (Lincoln turns to Rivian for help with its first all-electric SUV.)

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        2023 Toyota Corolla Hatchback SE front REL

        South Korean Brands Get Bigger Share of January Sales

        Today
        Tesla Gigafactory Austin_01

        Investors Unfazed as Tesla Reveals New SEC Probe

        Today
        GM and Lithium Americas

        GM and Lithium Americas Partner for U.S.-Sourced Lithium

        Today

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: