<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/chicago-auto-show/" rel="tag">Chicago Auto Show</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/minivans/" rel="tag">Minivan/Van</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/commercial-trucks/" rel="tag">Work</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/gallery/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/transitelectricchicago01opt.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Ford Transit Connect Electric - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2010/02/09/chicago-preview-ford-transit-connect-electric-and-cng-powered-t/">As expected</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> brought the latest (and greatest?) incarnations of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/transit+connect">Transit Connect</a> utility van to the <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/Chicago-Auto-Show/">Chicago Auto Show</a> today. The battery-powered Transit Connect Electric was up first, perhaps because it fits so well into Ford's strategy of vehicle electrification (see also: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/20/ford-prepping-for-20-home-trials-of-the-focus-bev-in-london/">Focus Electric</a> coming next year, followed by a plug-in hybrid and a next-gen hybrid in 2012). At the very least, this is Ford's first battery-powered vehicle, said product development vice president Derrick Kuzak.<br />
<br />
The practical and battery-powered delivery van (the standard version was <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/11/detroit-2010-ford-sweeps-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-ye/">named the North American Truck of the Year</a> this year) uses a powertrain developed with help from Azure Dynamics Corporation. Called Force Drive, the 55 kW system uses a 28 kWh lithium ion battery pack from Johnson Controls-Saft, has a 75 mile per hour top speed and can drive up to 80 miles on a charge. Will these specs be enough for customers? Praveen Cherian, program manager for the Transit Connect Electric, said in a statement that:<br />
<blockquote>
<div><em>We're excited about the potential for our electrified vehicles. People were a little hesitant about hybrid technology at first, but now they accept it and embrace it. We expect the same will be true of electric vehicles</em>.</div>
</blockquote>The Transit Connect Electric goes on sale in the U.S. later this year, so we'll find out soon. More details after the jump. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/">Ford Transit Connect Eletric at Chicago Auto Show</a></strong></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/transitelectricchicago01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/transitelectricchicago02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/ford-transit-connect-electric-chicago-4_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/ford-transit-connect-electric-chicago-3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/ford-transit-connect-electric-chicago-2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><em><strong><small><br />
Photos by Drew Phillips, Sebastian Blanco / </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Copyright (C)2010</small></strong></em><em><strong><small> Weblogs, Inc.</small></strong></em><br />
<br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-electric-uses-the-force-drive/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Chicago 2010: Ford Transit Connect Electric uses the "Force"</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-electric-uses-the-force-drive/">Chicago 2010: Ford Transit Connect Electric uses the "Force"</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:22:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-electric-uses-the-force-drive/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19352715/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-electric-uses-the-force-drive/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Ford Transit Connect Electric - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2010/02/09/chicago-preview-ford-transit-connect-electric-and-cng-powered-t/">As expected</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> brought the latest (and greatest?) incarnations of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/transit+connect">Transit Connect</a> utility van to the <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/Chicago-Auto-Show/">Chicago Auto Show</a> today. The battery-powered Transit Connect Electric was up first, perhaps because it fits so well into Ford's strategy of vehicle electrification (see also: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/20/ford-prepping-for-20-home-trials-of-the-focus-bev-in-london/">Focus Electric</a> coming next year, followed by a plug-in hybrid and a next-gen hybrid in 2012). At the very least, this is Ford's first battery-powered vehicle, said product development vice president Derrick Kuzak.<br />
<br />
The practical and battery-powered delivery van (the standard version was <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/11/detroit-2010-ford-sweeps-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-ye/">named the North American Truck of the Year</a> this year) uses a powertrain developed with help from Azure Dynamics Corporation. Called Force Drive, the 55 kW system uses a 28 kWh lithium ion battery pack from Johnson Controls-Saft, has a 75 mile per hour top speed and can drive up to 80 miles on a charge. Will these specs be enough for customers? Praveen Cherian, program manager for the Transit Connect Electric, said in a statement that:<br />
<blockquote>
<div><em>We're excited about the potential for our electrified vehicles. People were a little hesitant about hybrid technology at first, but now they accept it and embrace it. We expect the same will be true of electric vehicles</em>.</div>
</blockquote>The Transit Connect Electric goes on sale in the U.S. later this year, so we'll find out soon. More details after the jump. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/">Ford Transit Connect Eletric at Chicago Auto Show</a></strong></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/transitelectricchicago01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/transitelectricchicago02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/ford-transit-connect-electric-chicago-4_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/ford-transit-connect-electric-chicago-3_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ford-transit-connect-eletric-at-chicago-auto-show/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/ford-transit-connect-electric-chicago-2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><em><strong><small><br />
Photos by Drew Phillips, Sebastian Blanco / </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Copyright (C)2010</small></strong></em><em><strong><small> Weblogs, Inc.</small></strong></em><br />
<br />
[Source: Ford]<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-electric-uses-the-force-drive/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Chicago 2010: Ford Transit Connect Electric uses the "Force"</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-electric-uses-the-force-drive/">Chicago 2010: Ford Transit Connect Electric uses the "Force"</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:22:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-electric-uses-the-force-drive/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19352715/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/10/chicago-2010-ford-transit-electric-uses-the-force-drive/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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