Under the Biden Administration, the United States will cut down 50% of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. To reach this goal, the government will replace its fleet vehicles with EVs and further incentivize consumers and businesses to buy electric. The recently-announced 2021 Ford E-Transit will arrive as the first electric commercial vehicle in the US, helping commercial customers lower their carbon footprint.
Ford originally said that the E-Transit would start at around $45,000, but a new pricing announcement provides a new starting MSRP of $43,295. That price includes a low-roof, regular-length, cutaway version. Ford will offer three roof heights, three body lengths, and two cab configurations, creating eight combinations. Pricing reaches up to $52,690 for a high-roof, extended-length chassis cab model.
E-Transit order books officially open in July, but Ford just unlocked its website for customers to raise their hands to express interest in learning about the van. Over 450 commercial customers in North America, including 200 top fleets and fleet management companies, have already reached out for more information to purchase one. Ford believes 70% of the full-size bus and van businesses will be all-electric by 2030, representing 300,000 vehicles annually.
"We've had so much interest early on, we wanted to open this registration site to serve customers with a build mix for their needs across all van body styles," says Ted Cannis, general manager, North American commercial business. "Some customers want high-roof vans to maximize internal cargo space, while others need to install bodies on cutaways and chassis cabs. Customers will have an all-electric solution - from box truck delivery to parking structure-friendly utility service vans and everything in between."
Ford's data from 30 million miles of customer telematics data reveals that the average commercial van travels 74 miles per day. The E-Transit houses a 67-kilowatt-hour battery pack with a targeted driving range of 126 miles for the low-roof cargo van configuration, which is more than enough for the average van driver. Fleet companies will love the E-Transit's lower maintenance costs, which are estimated to be 40% lower than a gas-powered Transit.
The E-Transit won't be sluggish either, with an estimated 266 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. Like the F-150 Hybrid, there are 2.4 kilowatts of available electricity to power tools such as belt sanders and miter saws. A pilot program starting this summer will allow customers to test the E-Transit before it officially goes on sale.