The first Ford E-Transit vans are starting to be shipped to fleets across Europe, supporting strong demand from operators to go electric.

The first E-Transit models are ready to ship from Ford Otosan’s Gölcük plant in Kocaeli, Turkey to help Ford Pro satisfy strong customer demand to electrify European fleets

Customer orders for the all-electric version of the Transit have already exceeded 5,000 units and Ford Otosan’s Gölcük plant in Kocaeli, Turkey, is now shifting up to full mass production.

The arrival of the E-Transit marks the launch of Ford Pro in the region; the new business brings an integrated offering of vehicles, software and connected services to help improve productivity and uptime and lower costs.

It also spearheads the transformation of Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli site which will see it become a major centre for electric commercial vehicle manufacturing in Europe. This is being supported by a €2bn (£2.67bn) investment and a ramp-up in employment by around 3,000 to increase vehicle production capacity, including for the next-generation Transit Custom model.

“Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli plant is the heart of Transit production in Europe, and this celebration of E-Transit manufacturing starts the electrified next chapter in our already strong partnership,” said Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe.

Offering a highly competitive range, payload, power and choice of bodystyles, the E-Transit has been designed to enable fleet operator electrification while accelerating their productivity through Ford Pro’s charging, telematics and servicing solutions.

The new E-Transit has already undergone ‘torture tests’ to prove its durability, and is now being comprehensively piloted with customers.

It will be joined by 2024 by four additional new fully-electric models in the Transit family, supporting Ford’s plans to go net zero by 2035.

“Ford Transit has defined ‘the Van’ in UK culture for 56 years,” said Mandy Dean, director, commercial vehicles, Ford of Britain. “Now, E-Transit’s market-leading range represents a significant shift forward not only as a vehicle to reduce carbon emissions, but as a connected vehicle, equipped with data services that will support SMEs and large businesses alike.”