Ford celebrates its one millionth Transit van built in Kansas City

Ford has officially produced its one millionth Transit van at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in the United States.

Transit is the best-selling commercial van in America, and despite Ford’s Kansas plant only building the van since 2014, it’s now into seven-figure production numbers, exclusively for the US market.

That’s a pretty impressive feat and equates to the American marque making (and presumably selling) 342.47 Transit vans every single day since production started seven years ago.

The millionth van rolled off the production line on June 29, finished in ingot silver, with a high roofline, rear-wheel drive, and a long wheelbase.

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Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, took to his personal Twitter account to mark the special occasion.

“In every town around the world, our vans bear the proud names of the businesses that make our communities run,” he said.

“I'm humbled as the one-millionth Ford Transit rolls off the line at Kansas City Assembly. A big milestone for Ford and American manufacturing. Thanks to the team and UAW.”

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Ford’s Kansas City plant, located in Claycomo, Missouri, will also produce Ford’s first fully electric van, the E-Transit, which is due to be released for the American market later in 2021.

Unveiled in November 2020, Ford hopes the E-Transit will represent a tidal shift for the commercial transportation space when it goes on sale.

Powered by a 76-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the electric van will have a driving range of up to 203 kilometres, depending on the variant.

The floor-mounted batteries will produce 198kW and 430Nm, and on a 115kW DC fast charger, the van will be capable of going from 10 - 85 per cent charge in just 34 minutes.

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The 2022 Ford E-Transit

While the E-Transit will be sold across Europe and the Continental United States, however, there’s still no word from Ford Australia as to whether we’ll be seeing the electric van Down Under.

As WhichCar was previously told by a spokesperson from Ford Australia: “While we have no local plans for the vehicle to share, we always look to the best of our global portfolio for vehicles which suit the emerging needs of Australian customers.”