[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] Ford announced on the 20th that it will launch the globally best-selling van, the 'Ford Transit,' as a pure electric vehicle model.
The Ford Transit, which has held the best-seller position in the United States for the past 41 years, will be released as a pure electric vehicle in North America and Canada in 2022. Ford expects the proportion of electric vehicles to grow to 8% of the total by 2025 and plans to invest approximately $11.5 billion in the electric vehicle sector by 2022.
The pure electric model of the Transit, which is scheduled to be produced in the United States, will be equipped with a high-speed data architecture and cloud-based services to optimize driving performance, making it smarter than previous models. The Transit will feature a modem that allows up to 10 devices to use a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and through Ford's proprietary vehicle communication technology service, Ford Telematics, it will provide useful data to drivers.
Additionally, Ford Data Services will offer live map GPS tracking, vehicle diagnostics, and geofencing functions that detect whether specific targets are within range, providing key performance indicators for both the vehicle and driver at a glance. Furthermore, the vehicle will be equipped with driver assistance features including automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection and forward collision warning, post-collision braking, and lane-keeping systems.
Jim Farley, Ford's Chief Operating Officer, stated, "Vans are a crucial card in Ford's paradigm shift toward electric vehicles. As an industry leader, Ford is accelerating the transition to electric vehicles to create solutions that support future business, starting with pure electric models of the Transit and F-150. The launch of the pure electric Ford Transit is not just about making a car powered by electricity, but about designing and developing digital products for the cars of the future."
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