Ford Pro, Ford’s commercial vehicles division, has announced that it will add six new scalable commercial chargers to its portfolio. This will make it a one-stop shop for fleet operators looking to switch to battery-electric vehicles. Included are level 2 AC chargers for homes and DC chargers that will be used for large-scale depots. They’ll be backed by Ford Pro’s integrated installation, software, and the FinSimple financing plan. Customers will be able to order these new chargers with the 2022 Ford e-Transit or the F-150 Lightning starting this spring.
“We are investing heavily in products and services to help commercial customers accelerate into an electric future, which means helping to ensure our hardware and software can plug and play with other manufacturers, as we know many customers operate mixed-make fleets,” said Ted Cannis, CEO of Ford Pro. “These chargers can be completely customized to unique commercial environments and can work even better when paired together with Ford Pro electric vehicles and Telematics to enable OEM-grade data transparency.”
Ford Pro notes that a recent survey conducted by analytics firm PSB revealed that moving to electrification is causing anxiety among fleet managers. Nearly half attribute that to the charging infrastructure and finding the right charging solutions, which is deemed a significant challenge for companies. To address these concerns, Ford Pro will help its customers implement a full charging solution from start to finish complete with an experienced team specializing in commercial project development and installations.
Ford Pro Charging will seamlessly integrate both hardware and software solutions designed specifically for the customer’s fleet charging needs. This also includes telematics support so fleet managers can easily keep track of their vehicles. Ford Pro’s E-Telematics system comes with smart charging, preconditioning, remote monitoring, reimbursement management for home charging, and reporting to help save on energy costs and maximize vehicle efficiency and uptime.
Of the six available chargers, the level 2 AC units generate between 11.5 to 19.2 kW of power and use a J1772 connector. Available exclusively for depot charging solutions, the level 3 DC chargers can be specified with 60 to 180 kW of power output. They’re also scalable and can be expanded over time and feature multiple configurations. One of the offerings has also been built specifically with shared spaces in mind and has a 10.0-inch touch screen so users can easily manage and charge an individual vehicle. Every DC charging solution uses a CCS-1 connector and is Wi-Fi, cellular, and Ethernet capable.
Customers who use public charging will get access to the BlueOval Charge Network. That means they’ll be able to charge at over 20,500 locations and over 70,000 plugs. The network will continue to grow with an additional 7,300 DC chargers. Should power grids go down, Ford Pro will help you out by connecting customers with mobile charging solutions specifically for commercial vehicles.
Ford Pro goes beyond selling fleet vehicles like the e-Transit and F-150 Lightning Pro. It will give you a full solution to help customers transition to electrification smoothly and a wide variety of options to fit your needs. Additionally, Ford aims to help you maximize your operations by giving you the necessary management tools.
