Ford Transit Connect Electric Debuts at 2010 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show

The electric vehicles game is on in Europe, after American manufacturer Ford debuted the Transit Connect Electric at the 2010 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, Germany. The model presented by Ford is only the beginning of a whole range of electric vehicles wearing the blue oval as a badge which will be released in Europe in the years to come.

Based on the long wheelbase version of the Transit Connect, the electric commercial vehicle is equipped with a battery electric drive train supplied by Azure Dynamics. The system, already tested on some 40 vehicle integrations, will give the vehicle a range of 130 km or 80 miles on a full charge.

The car will enter Ford's lineup in two European trial initiatives, in the UK and Germany. In the UK, Ford is working with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), the London Borough of Hillingdon and the University of Strathclyde on the UK's Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Fleet Demonstration. 21 prototype electric vehicles have been deployed to collect data on their performance.

In Germany, Ford is working with RheinEnergie AG, the city of Cologne and the University of Duisburg-Essen on the ColognE-mobil program, using a fleet of 25 electric vehicles to conduct road testing.

“We're excited about the extension of the Transit Connect Electric program to Europe and understand that putting electric vehicles on the world’s roads in significant quantities will be a long term proposition,” said Scott T. Harrison, Azure Dynamics CEO. “However, with the Transit Connect Electric, Ford and Azure are doing their part in helping to lead that transition."

The Ford Transit Connect electric will be followed on the EV segment 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.