Ford's business plan submitted to Congress a few weeks ago indicated that the Detroit-based automaker would be offering a "full battery electric vehicle in a van-type vehicle for commercial fleet use in 2010." Up until this point, we were left to speculate on the basis for the new EV, but Ford CEO Alan Mulally has now revealed that the new Blue Oval van will be based on the European Ford Transit that's scheduled to hit U.S. shores in the summer of 2009. We expect to hear more about the upcoming electric van over the next few months, possibly at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but the fact that it'll be based on the Transit should come as little surprise. The only other cargo vehicle that the automaker has at its disposal is the full-size, rear-wheel-drive E-Series, and that platform would be much less appropriate for an urban electric vehicle than the lighter, front-wheel-drive Transit van.
The current Crown Victoria wears many hats here in the States, as it is the transportation of choice for taxis, police, mob hitmen and senior citizens. With the eventual phasing out of North America's last body-on-frame car platform comes the Transit Connect, which is already on sale overseas and ready for multitasking on our shores. We've already seen a Transit ready for taxi duty, catering, and cable installation, and now the Blue Oval is pushing the busy little work van into the performance market.
Ford of Europe has announced the Transit Connect SportVan, which comes fully equipped with Performance Blue paint, Ford GT-style racing stripe, and seven-spoke 18-inch rims. Power comes from a 1.8L Duratorq TDCi diesel, which likely won't set the streets ablaze, but Ford provides some sporty features to make the working man's Mini Cooper feel fast. Some features include a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, high quality leather seats with eight-way seat adjustment, ABS, traction control, and some bright-work for the dash. In the past, such news would mean little to us here in the States, but since the Transit Connect is headed our way, there is a chance we could one day see a SportVan on Woodward or Hollywood Blvd.
Where better than New York for Ford to show off a taxi cab? And what better platform than the company's new Transit Connect van? Ford's Mark Fields and designer J. Mays were on hand for the unveiling of the Transit Connect Taxi Concept, and both were somehow amazed at the applause the concept generated. Seeing as how there were only a handful of us there and that the rest of the crowd consisted of Ford employees, we find it hard to believe there wouldn't be applause aplenty. Seriously though, this is one fun cab. After spending some time in the regular fleet of bumblebee-colored Crown Vics this past week, we can attest that the Transit Connect Taxi has a lot of things that make it a natural improvement over current standard taxis. Our favorite was the panoramic roof that allows passengers to take in tall buildings with a single glance, but we also liked the flexible seating and cargo configurations, as well as the funky interactive infotainment system for the back seat. Although it looks a bit large in photos, the Transit Connect Taxi Concept actually has a small footprint vehicle and seems like it could go four-wide where the Vics can only manage three abreast.
We reported last January that the European Ford Transit Connect would be coming to the U.S., and now we've learned that the Euro van is expected to join the assemblage of debuts at this year's Chicago Auto Show. Speculation is that the front-wheel-drive mini-ish vans will hit showrooms as a 2009 model and come with a 4-cylinder engine. It is also said to have seating for five, but meant to compete with another, larger European transplant, the Dodge Sprinter. Since Ford hasn't even acknowledged that the vehicle will be at Chicago, it hasn't issued a price, but MSRP for the Sprinter Van is $32,150 and the Sprinter Wagon goes for $34,350. If nothing else, we're happy to see Ford's European migration this way continuing, and there's even a Transit Connect SportVan! Now if we could work on some of those passenger car offerings...
