America likes Ford E-Transit: orders for 10,000 electric vans from more than 300 customers
Ford is also introducing Ford Pro Intelligence, a cloud-based platform that powers a suite of digital services that supports a commercial customer’s total fleet operation. Ford Pro Intelligence is designed to work for any size operation with Ford and non-Ford vehicles.
Ford announced orders for bestseller electric van E-Transit reached 10,000 vehicles from over 300 customers in North America. Businesses of all sizes ordered E-Transit, from one-man van operations to municipalities including the City of Orlando to some of the nation’s largest service providers and retailers like Walmart, which ordered more than 1,100 vans (here’s a post about Walmart placing an order of BrightDrop vans).
Ford E-Transit available in several configurations
According to the manufacturer, customers have ordered all eight of E-Transit’s available configurations, including three roof heights and three lengths, plus the only all-electric van chassis cab and cutaway models. The high-roof, extended wheelbase configuration, affectionately referred to as the “jumbo” model, is the most popular.
We’ve created a platform that centralizes and powers our entire digital ecosystem, working across gas and electric powertrains, Ford and non-Ford vehicles
Ted Cannis, Ford Pro CEO
«For commercial customers, a van is a tool to get a job done, and one size does not fit all needs», said Andrew Walker, Ford Pro commercial van brand manager. «That’s why we designed the original gas Transit with a best-in-class range of configurations backed by a network of nearly 300 upfitters to further customize it for specific applications. E-Transit adds another eight configurations to that lineup, enabling us to help customers of all sizes across industries transition into an electric future supported by Ford Pro».
Ford Pro makes advancements: welcome Ford Pro Intelligence
Talking about Ford Pro, a separate business within Ford focused on commercial customers, it is apparently growing. Now, Ford is introducing Ford Pro Intelligence, a cloud-based platform that powers a suite of digital services that supports a commercial customer’s total fleet operation. «Ford Pro is going to revolutionize the way our commercial customers work. We are integrating an intelligent management system with the trucks and vans our customers love. More data, more uptime, more productivity, smart charging and much less hassle», declared Jim Farley, CEO at Ford Motor Company. «Ford Pro is leading Ford’s transformation to an always-on relationship with our customers and it is one of our biggest bets to lead the connected, electric mobility future».
The Ford Pro Intelligence Platform combines Ford Pro’s suite of services including telematics into a single, easy-to-use interface. The platform updates with real-time data and continuously gets smarter. As customers transition to electric vehicles, Ford Pro Intelligence will link the services they need, including electric vehicle data such as live range, the optimal time to charge and charging products and services across depot, home and public. Ford Pro Intelligence is designed to work for any size operation with Ford and non-Ford vehicles.