Ford Motor Co. on Feb. 8 began shipping its E-Transit van—its second fully electric vehicle (EV)—from the company’s Kansas City-area assembly plant, which is the first such facility to build both batteries and vehicles themselves in-house, the OEM announced in a release.
The van, which is slated to have wide delivery applications, has more than 10,000 orders from businesses of all sizes and Ford is working on ways to increase production even more, the car and truck maker said in the release. The Claycomo, Missouri, plant gained a $100 million investment from Ford and created 150 new jobs to help make the electric version of the popular cargo van.
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According to the company’s release, Ford will have global capacity to produce 600,000 battery-electric vehicles annually by late 2023, including 200,000-plus Mustang Mach-E SUVs and 150,000 F-150 Lightning trucks. The new E-Transit is the first of two EVs purpose-built for Ford Pro commercial customers. The second will be the F-150 Lightning and Lightning Pro, all-electric versions of the company’s wildly popular pickup truck.
“E-Transit is a testament to the fact that an electric commercial fleet is no longer a vision of tomorrow, but a productivity-boosting modern reality,” said Kumar Galhotra, president of The Americas and International Markets Group of Ford Motor Co.
Ford Pro is the global business and brand within Ford dedicated to delivering solutions to government and commercial customers to help accelerate productivity, improve uptime, and lower operating costs through connected services and work-ready gas and electric vehicles, according to the Ford release.
“Ford Pro is committed to driving businesses forward—from the Transits and F-150s assembled right here in America by American workers, to the many businesses it will help grow, to the communities that benefit from the jobs and revenue,” said Tim Baughman, general manager of Ford Pro North America.
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Demand is strong, according to Ford, with more than 300 customers placing orders for 10,000-plus E-Transit vans. Businesses of all sizes are ordering E-Transit—from small operations such as Sheeran Construction in Aston, Pennsylvania, to municipalities like the City of Orlando, Florida, to retailers like Walmart.
“I completely trust Ford, and I am confident the E-Transit will withstand the rigors of my work,” said Ryan Sheeran, owner of Sheeran Construction and soon to be an E-Transit owner. “I am looking forward to owning my first all-electric vehicle.”
“When asked if I wanted to work on the new E-Transit, I was one of the first to raise my hand and volunteer,” said John Dodd, a United Auto Workers (UAW)-Ford operator who holds one of the 150 new jobs at the Kansas City plant. “I’m ready to see the E-Transit on the roads, to see it make an actual impact on local businesses. The future of Ford is electric and it’s exciting.”
“Today’s production shipping announcement of the 2022 Ford Pro E-Transit vans to customers marks the beginning of a new era emerging from Kansas City assembly plant,” said Chuck Browning, UAW vice president and director for the Ford department.
“By producing both gas and electric versions of America’s best-selling commercial van, members in Claycomo are working to meet current demand while transitioning to a strong electric future. UAW members are proud to take part in Ford’s commitment to build a quality new technology product that adds jobs and investment in Kansas City.”
See also: Ford E-Transit gets to work with pilot program fleets
Ford said E-Transit is designed for work with available features such as Pro Power Onboard, which turns the vehicle into a mobile generator with up to 2.4kW of power. Ford Pro Charging combines light-duty electric vehicle chargers with a single source for design and build services. It offers a variety of solutions to fit fleet and driver needs, including home, public, and depot charging.
New Ford Pro Intelligence subscription services such as Ford Pro E-Telematics can be accessed by activating the standard 4G LTE modem on E-Transit. Ford Pro E-Telematics, free for three years on E-Transits, is designed to help maximize run time with scheduled preconditioning when vehicles are connected to the grid, allowing drivers to bring the cabin to the desired temperature when still plugged in, helping preserve battery charge for use on the road.
