Ford confirmed that the next generation Ford Transit Custom will also be available in full electric. The range also continues to include a rechargeable hybrid, light hybrid and traditional internal combustion engine models.
The new Custom range includes both a Transit Custom van and a Tourneo Custom mini-car, and production will begin in 2023. Transit Customit will be manufactured at the Ford Otosan plant in Kocael, Turkey, where Volkswagen’s next-generation tonn-sized van will also be manufactured.
“The next generation Transit Custom range – including all-electric versions – will strengthen Ford’s position as Europe’s leading commercial vehicle brand,” says Stuart Rowley, President, Ford of Europe. “Transit Custom is the diamond of our commercial vehicles and key to our goal of growing the business of our commercial vehicles and creating a sustainable, profitable and electronic future for Ford in Europe”
The all-electric engine means the E-Transit is an ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) compliant vehicle. And Pro Power Onboard lets you plug into a 2.3 kW / 230-volt socket to power your tools wherever you are.
Available in two height and three length variations, the E-Transit is a large electric van that will offer up to 15.1 cubic metres of cargo space.
So, whatever your requirements, there’s a configuration to help electrify your business.
Electric future of commercial vehicles
Ford announced in February that all of the company’s commercial vehicle models will be available as a rechargeable hybrid or all-electric by 2024. Two-thirds of the commercial vehicles sold by Ford are projected to be either all-electric or rechargeable hybrids by 2030.
In 2020, Ford was europe’s best-selling van brand for the sixth year in a row. The leadership has also remained in 2021.
The growth of the commercial vehicle business is fueled by new products and services, as well as cooperation with an extensive network of authorised bodybuilders, Ford’s strategic alliance with Volkswagen, and the efficiency of the Ford Otosan joint venture in R&D and material costs.
Business growth is also helped by an ecosystem based on connectivity services developed together with customers that improves customer experience and business productivity. The services include a FordPass Pro offered free of charge to companies, which allows you to manage up to five cars.
“Today we are starting a new strategic investment that will contribute to shaping the future of the automotive industry. We are moving our Kocael factory to Turkey’s first and only integrated assembly plant for electric cars and batteries. We are excited and proud to be involved in creating an ecosystem that will serve as a model for others in the future,” says Ali Koç, Chairman, Ford Otosan, and Vice Chairman, Koç Holding Board of Directors.
The announcement is also positive news for Ford’s other European factories, as well as for European and Turkish subcontractors. Ford supplies Kocael with diesel engines from the Dagenham plant in Britain and transmissions from Cologne. More than 100 subcontractors in Turkey supply the factory with components.
Ford Otosan – Home of Ford Transit Custom
The collaboration between Koç Holding and Ford began in 1928. Today, Ford Otosan is the leading company in the Turkish automotive industry and one of the longest-running and most successful automotive joint ventures globally.
Ford Otosan’s Kocael plant opened in 2001 and has been manufacturing Ford Transit Custom models and 2-ton Transit since 2004 under Ford’s leadership. The Ford Courier is manufactured at Ford Otosan’s Yenikoy plant, which is also located in Kocael. Ford Otosan manufactures approximately 85% of the transit range’s products in Turkey.
In December 2020, Ford Otosan announced that it would invest more than $2 billion in the Kocael plant to increase the manufacturing capacity of cars and batteries. Approximately 3,000 more people are expected to be hired at the factory.
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