Ford Transit Connect to Offer Electric and Natural Gas Options

Ford’s right-sized Transit Connect commercial delivery van will soon be offered as a pure electric fleet vehicle and in a taxicab version that can be upfitted to run on either propane or natural gas. These clean power alternatives show the versatility and flexibility of this global not-too-big van platform.

Ford Motor Company’s first pure electric production vehicle will be the Transit Connect Electric commercial van, available for fleet use later this year. Ford’s electrification plan calls for the Focus Electric to launch in 2011, followed by a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2012 with next generation hybrid technology.

The Transit Connect Electric will be produced through a collaborative effort with Azure Dynamics Corp. Azure will start with new Transit Connect ‘gliders’ – vehicles with no powertrain or fuel system – and upfit them with Azure Force Drive motors, related components, and lithium-ion battery packs sourced from Johnson-Controls-Saft. The liquid-cooled 28 kWh pack fits neatly below the load floor of the Transit Connect van. This position keeps the center of gravity low and doesn’t intrude on interior cargo space.

Owners will have the option of charging with a standard household 120 volt outlet using the vehicle’s onboard charger. We expect most fleet users will go with the optional 240 volt charging station for quicker charges, which will bring shorter charging times of 6 to 8 hours.

Green Car recently spent time behind the wheel of a Transit Connect Electric prototype and found it well on its way to being production ready. Acceleration and performance are on par with conventional gasoline powered vans. It is speed limited to 75 mph to conserve energy for greater range, so there should be no problem with highway operation. We like the current calibration of the regenerative braking, which unlike some other electrics is not overly aggressive and feels like the standard van. The electric traction motor, controller, charger, and bulk of the electric drive-related components are located in the normal engine bay beneath the hood.

The taxi version of the Transit is a natural. With the low load floor and tall roofline, passengers will find entering and exiting this clean cab variant easy. Plus, the slider doors on both sides don’t protrude into traffic or catch on tall curbs as normal cab doors do. Naturally, unlike the delivery van variant, the Taxi gets windows all around and a three-passenger rear seat. The standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine is said to offer a 30 percent fuel economy advantage over traditional cabs.

For taxi operators that want to reduce costs even more, Ford will sell the Transit Connect with an engine prep package that makes it easy for upfitters to convert the vehicle to run on either clean compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG, aka propane). When converted following Ford’s guidelines and with Ford supplied engine calibrations, the modification doesn’t void the vehicle engine warranty. Packaging of the Transit Connect Taxi allows a large high-pressure tank to be installed in the rear cargo area with plenty of room left over for luggage, important in this application.