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E Transit unveiling 11/12/20


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Here we go:

An Independent Rear Suspension(!)

The regular Transit's live axle and leaf springs are ditched in favor of a coil-sprung semi-trailing-arm rear suspension that permits the motor and rear differential to be mounted directly to the chassis, as it made little sense to add the mass and potential vibration of the drive shaft that would have been required to make the existing live-axle suspension work. Ford claims this is the first heavy duty independent rear suspension in a commercial van.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/12/21559954/ford-e-transit-electric-delivery-cargo-van-price-specs-range

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2022-ford-e-transit-van-first-look-review/

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67 kw motor.   Perfectly adequate for a work van.

 

126 mile range.  That seems low until you consider the $45K price and all the other included features.   I think that will make this viable for a lot of tradespeople who work locally.  I also think we'll see extended range models at the expense of some cargo space and price.

 

We're finally seeing the fleet management software features that should extend to the other commercial vehicles and eventually AVs.

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9 minutes ago, akirby said:

67 kw motor.   Perfectly adequate for a work van.

 

126 mile range.  That seems low until you consider the $45K price and all the other included features.   I think that will make this viable for a lot of tradespeople who work locally.  I also think we'll see extended range models at the expense of some cargo space and price.

 

We're finally seeing the fleet management software features that should extend to the other commercial vehicles and eventually AVs.

 

I can't help but think that the 126 mile range is a bit low, especially for colder climates.

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12 minutes ago, valve said:

 

I can't help but think that the 126 mile range is a bit low, especially for colder climates.

 

 My first reaction too, but Ford did its homework for the intended market:

Quote

When it’s released in 2022, the E-Transit will come packing a 76-kWh battery, which should power it for 126 miles of range. That may seem paltry when compared to long-range EVs like Tesla, Lucid, and others. But Ford says it made this decision based on 30 million miles of real-world driving telematics of its non-electric Transit customers “to deliver the right amount of range based on fleet needs.” Based on that analysis, Ford determined that the average daily mileage of a Ford Transit customer was just 76 miles. 

"If you're driving 50 miles on an average day, why in the world would you ever pay for 500 miles?" asked Hetman. Fleet customers, who watch every penny, are unwilling to pony up for any capability they don't absolutely need, and Ford has plenty of data to back this up. Of course, Hetman acknowledges that some people will fall outside that window, but they can always grab a conventionally powered Transit or wait a little longer. "This is the start for us," he said. In the future, "We will have more capability [and range]."

Edited by Harley Lover
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I think back to the days when my dad owned his TV repair shop and realize that this van would have been a perfect fit. We always parked the van in the warehouse garage at night and this would have been plugged in at the end of the day. Our trips in the local market would have made this range more than adequate.

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20 minutes ago, valve said:

 

I can't help but think that the 126 mile range is a bit low, especially for colder climates.


I agree I’m a bit disappointed in that figure. 
 

In cold climates that range number (which I’m sure is for a completely unloaded van and not one full of equipment) drops to between 88 and 101 miles of range when in the cold due to heater use, etc (average drop of 20-30%). Thats still over the average daily miles but that eliminates any trips to a store or for lunch, etc.  

 

Auto Blog had an interesting article on it where a bunch of EVs were tested in Norway.  Average temp was 20 degrees to 37 degrees which is not cold.  
 

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/03/21/electric-cars-cold-weather-testing/

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34 minutes ago, Harley Lover said:

 

 My first reaction too, but Ford did its homework for the intended market:

 

Ford - here is a $45K vehicle that meets the needs of most Transit buyers while providing a lower cost of ownership and more functionality for fleet customers.  

 

GM - hey look at our 1000 HP jumbo Hummer that costs $112K and can drive sideways! 

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13 minutes ago, FR739 said:

In cold climates that range number (which I’m sure is for a completely unloaded van and not one full of equipment) drops to between 88 and 101 miles of range when in the cold due to heater use, etc (average drop of 20-30%). Thats still over the average daily miles but that eliminates any trips to a store or for lunch, etc.  

 

 

Which is why they'll still offer the ICE version (maybe a PHEV in the future?) as well as an extended range model later.   Ford is right that fleet buyers who don't need that extra range do not want to pay for it.

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52 minutes ago, akirby said:

 

Ford - here is a $45K vehicle that meets the needs of most Transit buyers while providing a lower cost of ownership and more functionality for fleet customers.  

 

GM - hey look at our 1000 HP jumbo Hummer that costs $112K and can drive sideways! 

 

GM is reportedly working on its own EV van for fleets, code named BV1. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-electric-vans-exclusive-idUSKBN23B1G1

 

It's unlikely that BV1 will come out before E-Transit does. Ford has first mover advantage here.

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1 hour ago, akirby said:

We're finally seeing the fleet management software features that should extend to the other commercial vehicles and eventually AVs.

 

This is just as big a deal, maybe even bigger, than the E-Transit product itself. Good to see Ford getting more involved in mobility software and services. Lots of high profit, high value added business opportunities there.

Edited by rperez817
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2 hours ago, FR739 said:


I agree I’m a bit disappointed in that figure. 
 

In cold climates that range number (which I’m sure is for a completely unloaded van and not one full of equipment) drops to between 88 and 101 miles of range when in the cold due to heater use, etc (average drop of 20-30%). Thats still over the average daily miles but that eliminates any trips to a store or for lunch, etc.  

 

Auto Blog had an interesting article on it where a bunch of EVs were tested in Norway.  Average temp was 20 degrees to 37 degrees which is not cold.  
 

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/03/21/electric-cars-cold-weather-testing/


Here's the thing though, Ford has TONS of data on how Transit work vans are used so they know exactly how most fleets will use these. Extending the range also comes at a price that a lot of fleet owners will no doubt balk at. This is perfect the way it is. 

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So this van is still a Transit but with independent rear suspension! The rear motor is mounted on the chassis so there is no drive shaft either. The spare tire moves to under the hood but there is no "frunk" - I think Ford is leaving room there for eventual AWD version. Very interesting engineering. 

 

Also looks like it will be available in multiple length and roof heights, even cab chassis and cutaway so Ford is being very serious about the depth and breadth of the EV van offering... It will even be sold worldwide where ever Ford already sells the Transit so this ain't no one-off compliance van.

 

Will be interesting to see if it beats the Rivian van to market. Amazon has also pre-ordered a bunch of this Transit EV so Ford knows it will have a huge customer from day 1.

Edited by bzcat
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3 hours ago, akirby said:

67 kw motor.   Perfectly adequate for a work van.

 

126 mile range.  That seems low until you consider the $45K price and all the other included features.   I think that will make this viable for a lot of tradespeople who work locally.  I also think we'll see extended range models at the expense of some cargo space and price.

 

We're finally seeing the fleet management software features that should extend to the other commercial vehicles and eventually AVs.


At first glance it sounds low, but when you realize a lot of these will be used for limited range/home base/route-based applications, it should do well for those applications, and as I point out below, I’m sure Ford can/will expand offerings based on customer feedback town the road.

 

55 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:


Here's the thing though, Ford has TONS of data on how Transit work vans are used so they know exactly how most fleets will use these. Extending the range also comes at a price that a lot of fleet owners will no doubt balk at. This is perfect the way it is. 


I also view this as a toe in the water sort of thing that they can get more feedback on once in the hands of customers and expand/edit the power/range/etc offerings down the road.

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57 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:


Here's the thing though, Ford has TONS of data on how Transit work vans are used so they know exactly how most fleets will use these. Extending the range also comes at a price that a lot of fleet owners will no doubt balk at. This is perfect the way it is. 


This is certainly a decent start but it’s far from perfect.  
 

If range wasn’t an issue the current vans wouldn’t have fuel tanks as big as they are.  I don’t see any of the gasoline vans having a range of 126 miles.  
 

I think perfection looks like a van that has all of the benefits of electricity without all the headaches like a much shorter range and the hassles of charging it up.  Granted all of that is applicable to any electric vehicle not just these vans.  $45k is a lot to ask for a van that can only go 126 miles but hopefully it’s successful and battery technology gets the point where charging and range is equal to the convenience of an ICE vehicle.  
 

 

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2 minutes ago, FR739 said:


This is certainly a decent start but it’s far from perfect.  
 

If range wasn’t an issue the current vans wouldn’t have fuel tanks as big as they are.  I don’t see any of the gasoline vans having a range of 126 miles.  
 

I think perfection looks like a van that has all of the benefits of electricity without all the headaches like a much shorter range and the hassles of charging it up.  Granted all of that is applicable to any electric vehicle not just these vans.  $45k is a lot to ask for a van that can only go 126 miles but hopefully it’s successful and battery technology gets the point where charging and range is equal to the convenience of an ICE vehicle.  
 

 


like I said above, I view it as a first step that’s getting them in the market early.  It’s not the ideal setup, but it gets them in and established.

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26 minutes ago, FR739 said:


This is certainly a decent start but it’s far from perfect.  
 

If range wasn’t an issue the current vans wouldn’t have fuel tanks as big as they are.  I don’t see any of the gasoline vans having a range of 126 miles.  
 

I think perfection looks like a van that has all of the benefits of electricity without all the headaches like a much shorter range and the hassles of charging it up.  Granted all of that is applicable to any electric vehicle not just these vans.  $45k is a lot to ask for a van that can only go 126 miles but hopefully it’s successful and battery technology gets the point where charging and range is equal to the convenience of an ICE vehicle.  
 

 


Not supposed to be perfect.  It’s supposed to appeal to a certain subset of transit buyers who fit the demographic.  Lower maintenance and fuel costs and the built in generator along with the management software are benefits over the regular transit.  
 

And for those who don’t fit the use case the traditional versions are still available.

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3 minutes ago, sullynd said:

What’s a comparable ICE transit run? $45k doesn’t seem too bad.  I wonder if longer range won’t be an option in the future. I like the idea of Ford offering value options when it comes to range. 


Ford already said it will offer longer ranges in the future.  

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4 hours ago, akirby said:

67 kw motor.   Perfectly adequate for a work van.

 

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2020/11/12/all-electric-ford-e-transit.html

 

Quote

E-Transit is the first all-electric cargo van from a full-line automaker in North America and offers a choice of eight configurations including three roof heights and three lengths, plus chassis cab and cutaway models; with a powerful electric motor targeting 266 horsepower/198 kilowatts of power and 317 lb.-ft. of torque, E-Transit comes ready to work when it arrives in late 2021

Quote

With a usable battery capacity of 67 kilowatt-hours, E-Transit will deliver an estimated range of 126 miles in the low-roof cargo van variant. 

 

Just to clarify.  A 67kW motor is only 90hp, which is not adequate, but a 266hp/198kW motor is.  The 67 is the usable kW-h battery pack rating.

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49 minutes ago, akirby said:


Not supposed to be perfect.  It’s supposed to appeal to a certain subset of transit buyers who fit the demographic.  Lower maintenance and fuel costs and the built in generator along with the management software are benefits over the regular transit.  
 

And for those who don’t fit the use case the traditional versions are still available.


Not to mention this seems like it's aimed at carpenters and HVAC companies more than deliveries and such (despite Amazon's already large preorder). Most of the time spent at a worksite I would imagine it would be plugged in if possible, especially if the generator is being used. 

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10 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:


Not to mention this seems like it's aimed at carpenters and HVAC companies more than deliveries and such (despite Amazon's already large preorder). Most of the time spent at a worksite I would imagine it would be plugged in if possible, especially if the generator is being used. 

 

True but I think it's also aimed at urban deliveries (flowers, food,, etc.) where range wouldn't be an issue.

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