Ford stays in Tesla's rear-view mirror

ELECTRIC VAN

Ford Motor Co., playing catch-up to Tesla Inc. in electric cars, is rolling out a battery-powered cargo van to lay claim to a new segment of the commercial fleet market that its gas-powered vehicles dominate.

Chief executive Jim Farley on Thursday unveiled an electric version of its Transit model, the ubiquitous airport shuttle, delivery and service van that is the top seller of its kind in the U.S. and Europe. It will face off against Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz EQV battery-powered van sold in Europe and electric vans made by startups such Amazon.com Inc.-backed Rivian Automotive Inc., in which Ford also is an investor.

Ford is aiming for commercial-vehicle leadership in EVs with the combination of the E-Transit coming late next year and a battery-powered F-150 pickup debuting in 2022. Farley, the former Toyota Motor Corp. executive who became CEO last month, sees a vast profit opportunity in boosting sales of mundane models that haul people, packages and payloads. The company said it expects industrywide electric-van sales to reach 1.1 million units globally by the end of the decade.

“We think there will be a boom in electric over many locations because we see so much inbound demand and interest in buying,” Ted Cannis, general manager of Ford's North American commercial business, said.

With regulators worldwide mandating zero-emission vehicles — especially in polluted urban centres — Ford sees big potential for electrified versions of its trucks and vans. Ford also views the election of Joe Biden — who has pledged to expand a nationwide network of charging stations — as another possible boost for plug-in vehicles.

“We are looking forward to working with president-elect Biden and his transition team,” Kumar Galhotra, Ford's president of the Americas and international markets, said. “I expect there will be more emphasis on electrification.”

Driverless delivery also is viewed as a logical first use of EV technology. Ford last year formed an alliance with Volkswagen AG to develop commercial, electric and self-driving vehicles, though the E-Transit isn't part of that deal.

With a driving range of about 202 kilometres and a price starting around US$45,000 — roughly US$10,000 more than a gasoline version — Ford is pitching fleet buyers on a lower “total cost of ownership” because fuel and maintenance costs are about 40 per cent less than traditional vans, Cannis said.

The E-Transit will come in eight variations, including three heights and three lengths, and the automaker will work with modification companies to customize vehicles for each buyer.