Ford lines up electric Connect

Date: Thursday, October 21, 2010

Ford's partnership with Azure Dynamics is on course to spawn the new electric Transit Connect in the spring of 2011.
The Azure Connect has a claimed range of up to 80 miles, top speed of 75mph and a 28kW battery that fits below the load floor to avoid inhibiting load space, although payload drops by 150kg due to the extra weight.
“Only now are people starting to realise that vans are important – this is where the technology takes off,” says Azure’s European sales and marketing director Gary Whittam, formerly UK boss of Ford’s commercial vehicle arm. “Business people understand that the biggest costs are fuel and maintenance – with this you’re effectively buying the next period of fuel in advance.” Whittam predicted that the adoption of electric technology would alter businesses’ traditional change cycles for vehicles. “You need to run these vehicles for eight to 10 years for maximum effect, not a three-year change cycle,” he said.


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