Whether tying up loose ends in the run-up to a long-awaited holiday, tackling a big project or heading into a stressful exam period, many of us have experienced a daunting busy spell at work, home or study… but imagine trying to complete 10 years’ worth of hard work in just 12 weeks.
That was the challenge faced by the new Ford E-Transit – the all-electric version of the world’s best-selling cargo van – during a punishing testing regime designed to recreate the effects of a lifetime of intensive customer use ahead of going on sale early next year.
A new video from Ford demonstrates the extreme climate and durability testing that prototype E Transit panel van and chassis cab variants have experienced at Ford’s high-tech facilities in Europe and the US.
During the tests, the all-electric E-Transit took on challenging winter driving conditions in Michigan, US; simulated extreme heat, cold and altitude in Ford’s Environmental Test Chamber in Cologne, Germany; and the giant potholes and rough road surfaces at the company’s Lommel Proving Ground in Belgium.
Ford punished the E-Transit through a rigorous series of tests to ensure it’s as durable as its diesel powered sister models. The no-compromises approach recreates the effects of more than 240,000 kilometres of driving – or a decade of hard work – for customers operating in the most arduous situations.
Ford’s Environmental Test Chamber can recreate conditions from the Sahara to Siberia. Engineers refined the all-electric powertrain and cabin environment for performance and efficiency by subjecting E Transit to over 40 degrees Celsius – hotter than the average desert – for two weeks using 28 spotlights with 4,000-watt bulbs. E-Transit’s battery pack features liquid-cooling technology for optimum performance in extreme weather.
The van also had to prove it could function at -35 degrees Celsius – colder than a typical Siberian winter – and with a full load making the punishing climb to 2,500 metres, as high as Austria’s Grossglockner High Alpine Road, one of the highest paved roads in Europe.
Thousands of passes over dedicated tracks of bumps, potholes and cobbles were performed at Ford’s Lommel facility, simulating cobbled streets, rough back roads and challenging un-made tracks from around the world.
Durability of the E-Transit’s battery pack, electric motor and unique rear suspension were tested by repeatedly driving the new model through mud and salt baths and through saltwater sprays, simulating winter roads and fords as well as testing the components’ corrosion resistance. The electric motor’s reliability was proven by running it continuously for 125 days.
E-Transit’s readiness for work will be further proven through extensive customer trials in the supermarket, utility and last mile delivery sectors beginning later this year. These trials will help Ford further improve customers’ experience of operating E-Transit, which offers productivity-boosting features including a lower-maintenance electric powertrain and next level connected vehicle technology.
The E-Transit is part of a major $30 billion investment by Ford into electrified vehicles by 2025. The company has stated its European commercial vehicle range will be 100 per cent zero-emission capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2024, with two thirds of commercial vehicle sales expected to be all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030.
