Ford announces home charging solution for businesses
Ford states that the AC charger is aimed specifically at companies that have neither a central vehicle depot nor their own full-time fleet manager. The offer is called ‘Ford Pro Home Charging’ and includes a home charging solution for employees with extended functions, such as billing of charging processes, status monitoring or preconditioning. The 22 kW charging solution will initially be available in the UK in the summer of 2024 before being gradually rolled out in other European markets. Ford will not be more specific at this point.
As the US American company emphasises that the new device will accompany the launch of the E-Transit Custom, the introduction in the DACH region could follow in autumn or winter. This is because deliveries of the new e-transporter in the 1-tonne segment are expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2024 to customers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Incidentally, the E-Transit Custom is capable of AC charging with 11 kW, which should allow a full charge in 6.7 hours.
The new charger is designed for the use case where drivers charge their company car at home overnight outside of working hours. According to Ford, the charging management software included in the offer allows charging processes to be planned and programmed remotely at times with favourable electricity tariffs. The wall box charging station can also interact with the Ford Pro telematics system, which “also simplifies the reimbursement of travel costs and compliance with accounting requirements”.
The manufacturer will provide advice, instruction, installation and maintenance of the charging station and also offers a five-year warranty. “We’re introducing a connected home charging solution designed using our decades of experience of working with small businesses,” said Hans Schep, Managing Director Ford Pro Europe. “With its seamless integration to the unique Ford Pro ecosystem, simple reimbursement solutions with single-screen view, and full aftersales support including a market-leading five-year hardware warranty, the Ford Pro Home Charging package delivers unmatched uptime and productivity for our customers.”
Ford Pro is the Ford business unit for commercial vehicle services launched in 2021. It is therefore also responsible for the manufacturer’s van division and, according to its own information, is constantly developing the financing and service offering. This now also includes the development of an eMobility ecosystem – including the home charging solution that has now been presented. The light commercial vehicles for the European market are built by Ford Otosan at the Turkish site in Kocaeli, where the two plants in Gölcük and Yeniköy are located close to each other.
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