FORD

E-Transit line gains prominence in the Brazilian market

Electrification is seen by some companies as an option that could, in the future, benefit the operation of their fleet. Others are discovering that today it is already a good business. The Ford E-Transit was launched in Brazil after a testing program with fleet owners and has already sold 300 units, which begin to be delivered this month.

“E-Transit is the market leader in Europe and the United States, where it has sold more than 30,000 units. It has unique performance and technology characteristics. Furthermore, Ford Pro provides full support to the E-Transit customer so that they can have maximum productivity and financial return in the transition to the electrification of their fleet”, says Guillermo Lastra, director of Commercial Vehicles at Ford South America.

The E-Transit pilot program included the participation of more than ten large e-commerce and logistics companies, which traveled more than 60,000 km with 11 vehicles in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In addition to proving the quality of the product, it served to identify the best configuration to meet the needs of each customer.

Versions...The E-Transit is available in van and chassis cab versions to meet the different demands of commercial customers. Both have a 269 hp (198 kW) engine and 430 Nm torque, rear-wheel drive and a lithium battery with a capacity of 68 kWh, which guarantees a range of 317 km (WLTP standard). Charging is done with a type 2 connector, in 34 minutes with direct current (115 kW) or in 8 hours with alternating current (11.5 kW).

“The 100% electric E-Transit is equipped with technological resources developed to reduce operating costs and improve productivity. As an example, we have semi-autonomous driving technologies to minimize the risk of incidents and unforeseen stops and, on the other hand, a charge management and energy regeneration system that maximizes the vehicle's autonomy and battery life”, explains Matias Guimil , Commercial Vehicle Strategy Manager at Ford South America.

Advantages...Ford's electric van also has other important advantages for customers seeking maximum profitability in their business, shown below.

Technology: The E-Transit is the only one in its category equipped with adaptive autopilot, cross-traffic alert, autonomous braking assistant, lane keeping assistant, 360º camera and blind spot monitoring technologies. It also comes with tire pressure monitoring, which helps extend tire life, an electronic parking brake and electronic stability control.

Volumetric capacity: The E-Transit is the only electric van on the market capable of transporting up to 15.1 m³ in the van version and 21 m³ and 1,938 kg of cargo in the chassis version. The other vans only hold up to 6 m³ and, to have more capacity, the customer needed to use light trucks with a larger size and cost.

Operating cost: E-Transit has a 40% lower operating cost for the fleet owner compared to combustion vehicles. This is due both to the lower cost of electricity compared to diesel and to the simplicity of the electric propulsion system. With 86% fewer wearable moving parts and no items such as transmission, cardan shafts, oil changes and filters, maintenance becomes much more economical.

Implementation commonality: E-Transit uses the same implements as the combustion version, which guarantees a wide variety of options already available for the needs of each customer. There are more than 80 projects developed, from trunks, platforms, dry cargo and services to ambulances, firefighters, executive and school transport, allowing the commonization of the fleet in the electrification process. Ford Pro has its own engineering team, which works in partnership with a network of certified modifiers, through the Ford Pro Convertor program, to assist the customer in implementing the vehicle and developing special projects.

Cost-free connectivity: Connectivity built into E-Transit's electrical architecture enables unique features that increase productivity. Monitoring vehicle data, which is shared by the customer, the dealership and the factory, allows you to anticipate occurrences, generate operating alerts, speed up maintenance services and reduce vehicle downtime. The fleet owner also has a portal for fleet management, with performance indicators for each vehicle.

Autonews