The Ford BEV Transit Connect; An EV That Works

I've been thinking about my next car, it will be an EV.

It is easy to get caught up in the hype of the Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i-
MIev, Think Ox, Aptera, etc. All promise to fulfill the needs of some
segment of the future EV buying public. But as much as I lust for a
Mitsu I-MIev Sport concept car, it is a far cry from what I really need
for a daily commuter/second vehicle.

I really need a vehicle that in addition to getting 60+ mi range and is
highway-speed capable makes up for all the things that Amapola, my
'08 Touring, doesn't do, or at least doesn't do well. That would include:
* Carry 5 full sized people and their luggage to the airport without
carrying the smaller carry-on pices on people's laps.
* Carry really large and bulky items that fit easily in my old Dodge
mini-van.

The Prius won't do these things, and neither will any of the other EVs
named above.

Enter the Ford BEV Transit Connect.

* 80 mile range
* 75 MPH,
* 6-8 hr recharge at 220v.
* Aero isn't great but the vehicle will be used mostly in traffic on
surface roads.

What's not to like? Well, for the immediate future the BEV TC is only
offered as a commercial vehicle for fleet sales.

Come on Ford, get with it and offer a mini-van version.
You'll be glad you did.

 

Tideland Prius,

Is the we referred to the we in "we Canadians," or the we in
"At the dealership I own/work at, we sell Ford Transit Connects?"

The reason I ask, so far I haven't seen any reference to a projected
price. If you are one of the second wes, have you heard any rumors
on the price?

I don't see a connection between range and "size of the city."
80 miles is 80 miles the world around, isn't it. What am I missing?

 

... "as silent and civil as a gracious butler"

An encouraging tidbit about what I hope is my first EV:

"Sherman compares the Transit Connect to the Tesla Roadster,
'You've heard about the silent smoothness of electrics but many of them—
including Teslas—generate prodigious amounts of gear and electrical
whine,' he writes. 'The Transit Connect Electric, however, is as silent and
civil as a gracious butler. This powertrain responds enthusiastically to a
prod of the pedal with barely a murmur.'

More.

 

The BEV Transit Connect has an advertised max range of 80 miles.
But that's 80 mi. in favorable conditions.

I got to see up-close, but not ride in, a Tesla. I asked the owner what
his max range was. He said that his max range was 2/3 of whatever
his range gauge said.

Why was that?

"1/3 to get there, 1/3 to get home, and 1/3 'just in case.'"
Two of the "just in cases" would be in extremely hot or cold weather.

Using this algorithm, the BEV-TC's max range is ~53mi. That's enough
for my 28 mi. daiy commute, with 25 miles in reserve to make those
real world -- but seldom mentioned -- pesky mid-week, hurry-up-quick
errands/personal appointments at the end of the work day.

YMWV (Your Mileage Will Vary.)

 

I have found nothing on pricing on the 'Net.

For reason's I can't explain, I'm expecting high $30K -low $40K...
probably wishful thinking.

By late 2010, pricing should be known:

"... In advance of the launch of the Ford Transit Connect Electric van
and other EVs, Ford started a 14-city promotional  tour in Portland,
Oregon on Monday. Ford will sell limited numbers of Transit
Connects later this year and electric Ford Focus' later in 2011. Ford
is working with utilities, local government, and Portland State
University to ensure that the city is ready with a charging infrastructure
when the EVs arrive ..."

More.

 

How about this new medium duty aero-EV from Freightliner Custom
Chassis:



"We recognized that we needed to do more than offer a stand-alone
all-electric chassis, so we partnered with other companies to do a full
vehicle that is a stark departure from the traditional boxy Class 4/5
truck," Michael Stark, Alternative Fuels/Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Project
Manager at FCCC said about the next-generation medium-duty
commercial truck.

... "We already have orders for the vehicle, and we plan to be in full
production by mid-2011," Stark said.

FCCC's new electric truck is capable of a 100-mi driving range on a
single charge. "That really fits very well with the typical delivery routes
seen daily in urban areas," said Stark.

Tesla Motors is the supplier of the truck's three lithium-ion battery
packs, each pack providing 18.5 kW·h for a total of 55.5 kW·h.
According to JB Straubel, Chief Technology Officer at Tesla Motors,
"The fully electric Freightliner truck is the first application of our
battery technology in a commercial vehicle. Fleets are a logical next
step in the electric vehicle revolution..."

More info.

And then there's the BRIGHT PHEV, ~100 eMPG.



More info.