Ford has revealed the plug-in hybrid range extender version of the Transit Custom van which is set to take part in a London trial designed to help improve city air quality.
This is the company’s first plug-in hybrid range-extender powertrain and it uses a 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine at its heart as a generator to feed the battery pack.
Ford claims that their design gives the Transit Custom a zero-emissions driving range of over 31 miles (50+ km), with the company to trial 20 Transit PHEVs for 12 months in London, starting in late 2017. The total driving range exceeds the 310-mile mark (500km).
The trial is being supported by Transport for London, with city-based businesses -including the Metropolitan Police- to integrate the vans into their day-to-day operations. Each one of the 20 cars will be fitted with a special telematics system to collect real-time data to better understand how their benefits could be maximized.
“Seeing the PHEV Transits on the road is an exciting milestone, and we look forward to teaming up with our London partners and customers to explore how these vans can reduce emissions and operator costs in the city,” said Mark Harvey, Director, urban electrified van programme, Ford of Europe.
The battery pack is a liquid-cooled lithium-ion design mounted under the load floor, preserving the full cargo volume of the Transit Custom van. Ford plans to put the Transit PHEV into series production in 2019.
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