The first production Ford E-Transit electric van has rolled off the production line in Turkey, with the model now ready to be delivered to customers.

The factory in Kocaeli, Turkey, will now move to full production volume in order to fulfil the strong early demand from European businesses – before the first van rolled off the production line earlier today, over 5,000 E-Transit vans were ordered by eager customers.

“Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli plant is the heart of Transit production in Europe, and this celebration of E-Transit manufacturing starts the electrified next chapter in our already strong partnership,” said Hans Schep, general manager at Ford Pro Europe. “This is the first step in a transformation of the Kocaeli site which will see it become a major centre for electric commercial vehicle manufacturing in Europe.”

Ford E-Transit production at Turkey factory
Ford E-Transit production at Turkey factory
Ford Investment in Turkey

In order to meet the demand for the E-Transit and future electrified Ford models, some €2 billion (£1.67bn/$2.18bn) is being invested to increase vehicle production capacity, including for the next-generation Transit Custom model. This will also grow employment, creating around 3,000 new jobs in the region.

“Production of E-Transit in our Kocaeli plant, where the electricity is supplied with 100% renewable energy, is a source of pride for us and another turning point in our increasing role in Ford’s electrification strategy,” said Güven Özyurt, general manager, Ford Otosan. “We believe that electrification of the legendary Transit model is a major development and an important step for making Ford Otosan the production base of Ford electrified commercial vehicles.”

Ford’s move to an all-electric future in Europe was further highlighted by the joint-venture announcement that will see three partners, Ford, SK On and Koç Holding, creating one of the largest EV battery facilities in the European region. Production is intended to start within a few years, with an annual capacity likely to be in the range of 30 to 45-gigawatt hours.

This investment will boost Ford’s electrification plans, with four more fully-electric models being added to the Transit family by 2024. The increased all-electric range will move Ford toward its target of zero emissions for all vehicle sales in Europe and carbon neutrality across its European footprint of facilities, logistics and suppliers by 2035.

Ford E-Transit and Ford Pro

E-Transit is the all-electric version of the Ford Transit, the world’s best-selling van, and spearheads the launch of Ford Pro in Europe. This new area of the business offers customers a suite of software, charging, servicing and financing solutions for their vehicles. Ford Pro is intended to help improve productivity and uptime, lower costs, and facilitate access to everything operators need on one modern and accessible platform.

With its competitive range, payload and power output, and a choice of body styles, E-Transit is designed to enable operators to painlessly switch to electric commercial vehicles, while accelerating productivity through Ford Pro’s charging, telematics and servicing solutions.

Ford E-Transit production at Turkey factory

Ford Pro has already proven E-Transit’s durability, with demanding testing in high-tech facilities around the world. The company is now running a wider programme of customer pilots with a total of 60 pre-production E-Transits, including converted models, operating in typical daily use with customers across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and the UK.

“Ford Transit has defined ‘the Van’ in UK culture for 56 years”, said Mandy Dean, director, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Britain. “Now, E-Transit’s market-leading range represents a significant shift forward not only as a vehicle to reduce carbon emissions, but as a connected vehicle, equipped with data services that will support SMEs and large businesses alike.”

Phil Huff
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