Passenger Version of Transit Connect Electric Is Released

For about a year now, nearly 500 Transit Connect Electric cargo vehicles -- the battery-powered love child born from a technological tryst between Ford Motor Co. and Detroit-based Azure Dynamics -- have been quietly proving their mettle in the hands of companies including FedEx, AT&T, Canada Post and the New York Power Authority.

With a top speed of 75 mph and a range of 55-80 miles per charge from the liquid-cooled 28-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery supplied by Johnson Controls, the Transit Connect Electric has “shown how versatile it can be, serving as the premier 'green' vehicle in the fleets of many different industries,” says Nancy Gioia, Ford's director of global electrification. Which raises the question: Do all Ford executives share their corporate title with a member of the P-Funk All-Star posse?

Now, with the addition of the Transit Connect Electric Wagon -- essentially, the Transit Connect Electric with seating for five and the word “wagon” added to its already verbose name -- the environmentally conscious mini-hauler can include humans among its list of cargo.

“The wagon is considered ideal for businesses that want the flexibility to move either cargo and/or passengers with the efficiencies offered by the electric powertrain. The wagon is especially well-suited to campus settings like those found at universities, military bases, health-care facilities, airports and private businesses where frequent short-range routes are commonly traveled,” says an optimistic though carefully worded joint press release.

Why, then, does the general motoring public insist on belittling a promising technology still exploring its potential while in its infancy? Or, as Exhaust Notes' own Josh Condon so succinctly asks: “Given that so many people love to question the efficacy/cost-effectiveness of EVs, hybrids and other alternative powertrain vehicles, why is it that fleet managers -- those who rely on the frequent use of their vehicles in the service of turning a profit and who ostensibly really need the bang for the buck -- are always at the forefront of using any new tech? Is it simply due to stringent fleet emissions standards and tax incentives, or do they know something we don't?”

Sure, the tax breaks play a part: Owners of the Transit Connect Electric (both van and wagon) qualify for the standard $7,500 federal tax incentive; fleet owners who purchase and deploy the vehicles in California can receive an additional $15,000 incentive from the California Air Resources Board for the first Transit Connect Electric purchased, and up to $12,000 for each subsequent purchase up to a maximum of 100 vans per customer. The Golden State means (green) business.

FedEx counts five Transit Connect Electric vehicles among a fleet of EVs that includes products from Navistar, Smith Electric and Freightliner. Despite the California tax incentives, it operates all five in flyover country -- four in Memphis and one in Chicago -- with their eyes on a much bigger prize.

“With 40,000 vehicles, FedEx can not only enjoy fuel savings and reduce our dependency on foreign oil, but we can hugely impact what technology moves forward,” spokeswoman Deborah Willig said in a phone interview this morning. “We saw an opportunity to grab the lead and help drive the R&D of alternative vehicles by sharing information and real-world feedback. Hopefully, private-sector demand will increase and help bring EV prices down.”

Tax incentives, fuel savings and photo ops aside, possibly the single most important factor in determining the acceptance of the Connect Electric and EV vehicles in general is, according Willig, this: “The drivers love them.”

 

Source: Exaust Notes