The Chicago Auto Show, which opens to the Press today, is the venue for the unveiling of the all-electric version of the Ford Transit Connect.
The vehicle will be powered by a liquid-cooled 28kWh lithium-ion battery pack from Johnson Controls-Saft and has an electric powertrain that includes a Siemens model 135 induction motor, a Borg-Warner 31-03 single speed transmission, the 28kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and a pack voltage range of 215-390V.
The electric Ford Transit Connect will be able to accelerate at approximately the same rate as the petrol-powered vehicle with a top speed of 75mph and a targeted range of 80miles. Owners of the vehicle will also have the option of recharging the vehicle with either a standard 120V outlet or a 240V charge station installed at the user’s base of operation for optimal recharging in six-eight hours.
Just like the standard version of the model, the electric Ford Transit Connect will boast 135 cubic feet of cargo volume; 72.6 inches of load space; split rear cargo doors that open at a standard 180 degrees or an optionally available 255 degrees; a lift-over height of less than two feet when the vehicle is unloaded; and power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. It has a projected life of 120,000 miles.
Ford has also announced the Ford Transit Connect Taxi that will go into production and arrive in dealerships later this year. According to Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas, there is considerable interest in vehicles that run on alternative fuels and this taxi Transit is designed to meet those needs.
In addition, Ford is planning to bring three more electrified vehicles to the market by 2012 – the Focus Electric in 2011, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2012 and a next-generation hybrid in the same year.
