Canada Post Buys Ford Connect Electric

American manufacturer Ford's electric ambitions are coming together, as the first vehicle in what Ford hopes to be a long line of successful models has begun rolling off to its customers. The carmaker announced today it will deliver one of the first Connect Electric for Canada to Canada Post by the end of this year, with nine more such vehicles to follow in 2010.

The Connect Electric is the result of the joint efforts made by Azure Dynamics, Ford, Johnson Controls and AM General. It is based on the long wheelbase version of the Transit Connect and is equipped with a battery electric drive train supplied by Azure Dynamics. The system will give the vehicle a range of 130 km or 80 miles on a full charge.

“Canada Post is the first Canadian company to sign on to this exclusive and innovative vehicle program aimed at providing environmental solutions to the commercial delivery market,” said Scott Harrison, Azure Dynamics CEO.

“The transformative technology of the Transit Connect Electric reduces gasoline fuel costs to zero, produces no tailpipe emissions and is virtually silent as it travels through urban and suburban delivery routes. The progressive attitude of companies like Canada Post will contribute to making an important environmental impact.”

The model is the first in a line of EVs to be released by Ford in the following years. It will be followed by the Ford Focus battery electric in 2012, the Ford C-MAX-based Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) in 2013, and an yet undisclosed HEV in 2013.