Ford Motor Company (Ford Motor) has introduced a new fuel-efficient car, 2010 Transit Connect, which is an alternative to larger commercial vehicles that’s ideal for navigating US cities. The powertrain was upgraded to include a Duratec 2.0-liter dual-overhead cam (DOHC) I-4 engine, giving 22 city, 25 highway miles per gallon, and a four-speed automatic overdrive transaxle. The Transit Connect battery electric vehicle will be the initial offering in company’s new electrification initiatives.
Ford Motor is tapping its global portfolio of products to meet the exceptional needs of American small-business owners with the 2010 Transit Connect.
“Transit Connect is a tangible success of our ‘One Ford’ strategy to harness the best of our global products and offer new choices and solutions to customers in other parts of the world,” said Mark Fields, Ford Motor’s president of The Americas.
“With 40 percent market share, Ford is the reigning Commercial Truck leader in the United States, and we’re looking for Transit Connect to further grow our leadership and allow even more customers to experience the ‘Built Ford Tough’ difference.”
Transit Connect arrives with a global reputation for durability and toughness dating back to its 2003 launch, when an expert jury of European commercial vehicle journalists named it International Van of the Year.
Ford Transit Connect is built on a dedicated front-wheel drive commercial vehicle platform to meet and exceed the needs of small-business owners and entrepreneurs. Several design details, including the grille and interior touches, have been updated to lend the vehicle a fresh, new look for its American debut.
“This workhorse is like nothing available today in the American market,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford Motor’s group vice president for Global Product Development. “We’re offering small-business owners a real choice to meet their needs, instead of asking them to pull seats out of minivans or compromise on one or more of their needs. Transit Connect is good news for small-business owners nationwide.”
As part of Ford Motor’s aggressive new electric vehicle plan to bring pure battery-powered vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrids to market, a battery electric-powered Transit Connect will be offered later in 2010.
Ford Motor is working with Smith Electric Vehicles, the European market’s battery electric upfitter of commercial vehicles, a part of the UK-based Tanfield Group of companies. Since 1920, Smith has converted tens of thousands of commercial vehicles to battery electric-power.
Many commercial users travel predictable, short-range routes, with lots of stop and go in urban and suburban environments. A range of up to 100 miles makes the battery electric-powered Transit Connect a useful hauler, with significantly reduced operation and maintenance costs. For companies aiming for sustainable mobility solutions, it can help them deliver the goods in an environmentally friendly way.
Transit Connect: It’s Global:
More than 600,000 Ford Transit Connects have been sold since 2003, to customers in 55 countries on three continents. To fulfill the unmet needs of small-business owners and entrepreneurs in the US, Ford Motor’s Global Product Development team was able to quickly adapt the Transit Connect for the American market, validate its durability and tailor the cargo space for the unique yet diverse needs of small-business proprietors.
Transit Connect: It’s Capable:
“Transit Connect was developed to bring small-business owners a new vehicle choice, offering significantly improved fuel economy, generous and accessible cargo space with the agility and maneuverability to deliver the goods in tight quarters,” said Rob Stevens, chief nameplate engineer.
Transit Connect capability begins with capacity. With 135.3 cubic feet of Transit Connect cargo volume, no other vehicle in the American market can deliver this combination of capacity and fuel economy:
Split rear cargo doors open at a standard 180 degrees, or an optional 255 degrees;
Lift-over height is less than two feet, when the Transit Connect is unloaded;
The cargo area opens up to a maximum of 59.1 inches of floor to ceiling height;
The load width is 48.1 inches, between the wheel arches;
Load length is a generous 72.6 inches or more than six feet of cargo floor space
and dual sliding rear side doors provide wide access to the generous cargo space.
Transit Connect has more than double the cargo-carrying space of the Chevrolet HHR Panel, making it suitable for a broader range of commercial-use applications.
It also offers commercial users a cargo payload of up to 1,600 pounds – a larger payload than the full size Dodge Ram 1500 standard-cab short-box pickup truck.
“Transit Connect can swallow far more cargo than people might think,” added Stevens.
The Transit Connect’s capability story goes beyond capacity. Its size and nimble driving dynamics provide agility for urban routes. Power-assisted rack and pinion steering allows a 39-foot curb-to-curb turning circle, making it maneuverable when delivering the goods in tight quarters.
The Transit Connect features a 15.4 gallon fuel tank, providing the useful capability of a highway range of more than 350 miles.
Transit Connect: It’s Adaptable:
Ford Transit Connect was conceived, developed and engineered to meet the needs of small-business proprietors all over the world. Once it arrives in the US from Ford of Europe’s production facility in Kocaeli, Turkey, it can be outfitted for specific needs across a diverse range of users.
Transit Connect is offered with a wide range of upfitted cargo management options, similar to the enduring Ford E-Series commercial vehicles. Bulkheads, racks, bins and other upfits can be mixed, matched and configured to suit many specific commercial applications and needs.
Customers have numerous configuration choices, with multiple commercial applications:
Transit Connect is available as a cargo van with no windows in the sliding side doors combined with rear cargo door privacy glass;
A panel van version is offered with no side or rear cargo area windows;
Transit Connect can be configured with side and rear door privacy glass for maximum driver visibility;
A wagon version also is available with a folding second-row bench seat, in either two-or three-passenger configurations.
Ford Transit Connect can be further adapted to individual business needs with the inclusion of Ford Work Solutions. The “solutions” behind this system allow customers to:
Run a business from inside the Transit Connect, right from the job site: An in-dash computer provides Internet access, productivity software and optional printing capabilities;
Track tools: Tool Link gives the ability to organize, scan and track tools, inventory and other cargo items;
Track the fleet: Crew Chief is a tailored telematics service to monitor and manage small or large fleets.
The Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer allows small-business owners to run their enterprises from inside the Transit Connect. Applications include downloading customer or product information, remotely accessing an office work station computer, sending and receiving text messages, navigating job or delivery locations with the Garmin navigation function and connecting with customers via hands-free phone functionality.
With a bright touch screen for easy use and visibility, the in-dash computer runs the Windows CE 6.0 operating system. Word processing, spreadsheet, calculator and calendar applications are included. With applicable subscriptions, the system can provide users with Internet access, remote document access and Garmin Online services such as traffic, weather and fuel prices.
The in-dash computer enables the availability of Tool Link, by DeWALT. Using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that adhere to individual tools or objects, Tool Link allows the Transit Connect cargo area to be scanned for the appropriate tools and inventory items, prior to leaving for the jobsite or route.
Tool Link helps manage valuable tools and ensures that specific items are on-board and available for use. Tool Link helps to keep all RFID-tagged objects on board, so at the end of the day these items are secure and available for work on the next job.
Crew Chief is a tool for fleet managers to track vehicles, staff and Transit Connect diagnostics.