Ford introduces newest electric wagon for business users

2012 Ford Transit Connect electric wagon is first five-seat electric wagon: intended for businesses, it has range of up to 120 km per charge. 

Ford's Transit Connect Electric wagon became the newest electrified commercial vehicle on the market with the announcement of its introduction today. Ford and partner Azure Dynamics Corporation introduced the first electrified Transit Connect in December 2010.

The new wagon is designed for businesses that want to move either cargo and/or passengers, with the efficiencies offered by the electric powertrain. Ford says the wagon is well-suited to settings such as university campuses, military bases, health care facilities, airports and private businesses where frequent short-range routes are commonly traveled. With its added passenger seating, the wagon could allow more businesses to "green" their fleets with 100 per cent electric, zero-emissions driving.

The new wagon is a derivative of Ford's Transit Connect Electric cargo van, with which it shares a common electric drive integration and glider.

Using an advanced liquid-cooled 28 kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery from Johnson Controls, Transit Connect Electric wagon can achieve a range of 55 to 80 miles on a single charge depending on driving conditions and ancillary power usage. The wagon has a top speed of 75 mph.

Wagon owners will have the option of recharging Transit Connect Electric with either a standard 120-volt outlet, or preferably a 240-volt charging station, typically installed at the user's base of operations for optimal recharging in six to eight hours.  

Like its cargo van sibling, the Transit Connect Electric Wagon qualifies for the $7,500 federal incentive in the United States. In addition to federal incentives, fleet owners in California can receive an additional $15,000 incentive from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for the first Transit Connect Electric van or wagon purchased for deployment in California. Subsequent purchases of Transit Connect Electric vans or wagons will qualify for an incentive of up to $12,000, with a maximum of 100 vans per customer.