Azure Dynamics and Ford of Canada announced today that they will deliver twelve Ford Transit Connect Electric vans to the Toronto Atmospheric Fund’s FleetWise EV300 Initiative under the LEAD customer program.
As a LEAD customer, FleetWise EV300 will receive one of the exclusive Transit Connect Electric vehicles in late 2010 and will receive its remaining eleven vans in 2011.
The FleetWise EV300 initiative aims to put at least 300 electric vehicles on the road in the Greater Toronto Area by 2012, helping to prepare the region for full-scale electric mobility. Participating in the EV300 initiative allows public and private fleets, local electricity distribution companies and municipal partners to access electric vehicles, secure servicing and technical support, establish charging infrastructure, better understand vehicle-grid integration, monitor performance, and advance EV-friendly policies.
The City of Toronto is committed to lowering emissions of greenhouse gases by 6% below 2009 levels by 2012, and lowering emissions of smog-causing pollutants by 20% below 2004 levels also by 2012.
The Toronto Atmospheric Fund FleetWise EV300 Initiative along with their Transit Connect Electric Fleet Partners, join in these efforts. The following organizations will participate in the Transit Connect Electric program: The City of Toronto; Ontario Ministry of Transportation; Veridian; The City of Hamilton; The Town of Richmond Hill; and the University of Toronto. Additional Fleet Partners will likely join in this initiative, all of whom may be able to take advantage of the $8,500 CAD Ontario tax credit with the purchase of their Transit Connect Electric.
To create the Transit Connect Electric van, Azure integrates its Force Drive electric powertrain into the Ford Transit Connect. A lithium-ion battery pack from Johnson Controls-Saft supports a range of up to 80 miles (129 km) on a single charge and has a top speed of 75 mph (121 km/h). The battery is rechargeable using either a 240-volt or standard 120-volt outlet.
