Ford Transit Custom PHEV, the commercial van that will clean up cities

Ford is the first mainstream manufacturer to launch the production of a plug-in hybrid commercial vehicle, and its impact on reducing emissions in cities could be decisive. The American firm presented this week the Ford Transit Custom PHEV, and in a few months it will begin testing the van in London to measure its impact on air pollution in one of the busiest cities in the world. The plug-in hybrid van will reach the market in 2019.

The Ford commercial van has a 100% electric range of 50 kilometres, although its total range reaches up to 500 km. This model features a 1-litre EcoBoost petrol engine that is not connected to the drive axle, so its role is limited to keeping the vehicle’s electric batteries charged at all times.

The 1.0 EcoBoost combustion engine is not connected to the drive axle and is only responsible for recharging the batteriesThe main consequence of this innovative solution is that the use of the combustion engine is considerably reduced, and therefore the vehicle’s emissions too. The electric motor, for its part, drives the van’s driven wheels, while the lithium-ion batteries of the vehicle use a water cooling system.

The Ford Transit Custom PHEV has been built and designed mainly by Ford, but the American brand has also had the collaboration of other companies such as Advanced Technology, Prodrive, Bosch and Revolve Technology.

Starting in December, Ford will carry out a twelve-month trial to determine the impact that the use of its commercial van has on air pollution in London. Among other municipal bodies, the Metropolitan Police will use the Ford van around the city. It is worth noting that the British government has funded Ford’s proposal to clean the city’s air with £4.7 million.

The truth is that the widespread use of the Ford Transit Custom PHEV could be an important step forward in reducing polluting emissions in cities, especially in London, where around 280,000 commercial journeys are made over the course of a working day.