In addition to the Ford Transit Connect Taxi, jointly Ford also introduced the Ford Transit Connect Electric at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. The 2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric confirmed the zero-emissions small van will use a Force Drive electric powertrain manufactured and integrated by specialty upfitter Azure Dynamics.
Created the minivan as it moves swiftly to load cargo and the battery power flows from the drive motor through the electric powertrain’s motor controller. Owners will have the option of recharging the Ford Transit Connect Electric with either a standard 120V outlet or preferably a 240V charge station installed at the user’s base of operations for optimal recharging in six to eight hours.
The vehicle, which will accelerate at a similar rate as the gas-powered Ford Transit Connect and will have a top speed of 75 mph, has a targeted range of up to 80 miles on a full charge. The vehicle’s charge port is located above the passenger-side rear wheel well. The onboard liquid-cooled 28-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack is charged by connecting the charge port to a power outlet. Inside the vehicle, an onboard charger converts the AC power from the electric grid to DC power to charge the battery pack.
In addition to the Ford Transit Connect Electric, Ford plans to bring three more electrified vehicles to market by 2012 – the Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2012 and a next-generation hybrid in 2012.
