Ford have just launched a video (see below) showing their new all-electric Ford E-Transit undergoing testing. It has undergone a punishing regime designed to recreate the effects of a lifetime of intensive customer use, ahead of going on sale early next year.
The testing saw the E-Transit complete 10 years’ worth of hard work in just 12 weeks. This included challenging winter driving conditions in Michigan, USA, along with simulated extreme heat, cold and altitude in Ford’s Environmental Test Chamber in Cologne, Germany.
The testing also took on giant potholes and rough road surfaces at the company’s Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium. Separate E-Transit testing is also being conducted at the Dunton Technical Centre in Essex.
Ford punished the E-Transit through a rigorous series of tests to ensure it’s as durable as its diesel‑powered siblings. The no-compromises approach recreated the effects of more than 150,000 miles (241km) of driving. This is a decade of hard work for customers operating in the most arduous situations.
Andrew Mottram, chief programme engineer E-Transit, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Europe, said: “We test all our vans in conditions above and beyond anything they are likely to face in the hands of customers.”
“The all-electric E-Transit is no different. By pushing it to the limit in our controlled test environments, we can be confident that it will reliably serve our customers as they switch to all-electric power for their businesses.”
The durability of the E-Transit’s battery pack, electric motor and unique rear suspension were tested repeatedly. It was driven through mud and salt baths and through saltwater sprays, simulating winter roads and fords as well as testing the components’ corrosion resistance. The electric motor’s reliability was proven by running it continuously for 125 days.
These trials will help Ford further improve customers’ experience of operating E-Transit, which offers productivity-boosting features including a lower-maintenance electric powertrain and next‑level connected vehicle technology.
The E-Transit is part of a major $30 billion investment by Ford into electrified vehicles by 2025. Ford has said that its European commercial vehicle range will be 100 percent zero-emission capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2024, with two-thirds of commercial vehicle sales expected to be all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030.
