Ford receives government boost
Ford has received £360m from the UK government to aid production of the Ford Transit Connect Electric.
The loan comes as part of Ford’s £1.5bn green technology investment plan in the UK and sees 2,800 jobs safeguarded in Ford plants across the country.
The Ford Transit Connect Electric is expected to be one of the first electric vehicles from the American manufacturer and is due for a UK release in 2011.
The Connect Electric will house a lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity of 28kWh as well as a 55kW traction induction motor mounted to the chassis. A full charge on a standard 230 volt outlet will take ten hours.
A top speed of 75mph and an 80 mile range is also expected from the van, which is about to be leased to an energy company in Hillingdon, London for real-world trials.