Ford E-Transit van has saved 2.8 million litres of fuel in North America

The Ford E-Transit electric delivery van has saved more than 2.8-million litres worth of fuel from around 19.3 million kilometres driven – in just one year after its launch in the US and Canada.

The American carmaker shared data collected from its E-Transits as part of its internet-connected Ford Pro system – equating the fuel savings to preventing more than 4.3-million kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2) being polluted into the air.

Ford also claims driving a low-roof E-Transit delivery van results in 57 per cent CO2 output reduction across its lifetime compared to a traditional combustion engine-powered van.

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As the first mass-market large electric commercial van sold in North America, 6500 were sold last year and currently represents around 61 per cent of the continent’s electric van market.

In Australia, the Ford E-Transit was previously promised to land in 2022 as part of its electrification push, but has been delayed multiple times to at least April.

Only the long wheelbase mid-roof or high-roof variants have been earmarked locally, with a 67kWh usable battery delivering an estimated 317 kilometres of driving range on the WLTP test cycle.

The E-Transit’s only direct rival is the LDV eDeliver 9, while the Renault Master E-Tech and Mercedes-Benz eSprinter are slated to launch in 2024 or later.

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A US Department of Energy study last year revealed battery-electric vehicles in the States alone saved 1.8-billion litres of fuel in 2021 or equivalent to 72 Olympics-sized swimming pools.

While EVs do have a higher emissions footprint from the factory – due to environmentally unsustainable materials used to make large battery packs – the total lifetime carbon footprint is still lower than petrol and diesel cars, especially when recharged on renewable energy sources.

Ford of Europe is also deploying a FordLiive subscription service, which aims to increase the uptime of commercial vans by using 4000 in-vehicle data points to warn fleet operators of specific mechanical issues and have parts ready at Ford service centres before arriving at the dealership.

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