He drew a line in the sand, or the silica more like it, and I suppose it’s hard to blame him.
During the recent reveal for the all-electric 2022 Ford Transit, Ford CEO and President Jim Farley made it clear that his company was on board with all-electric vehicles, California-style.
“This is the path we’re on,” Farley said during the Nov. 12 virtual event. “Ford is totally committed to being carbon neutral by 2050. We’re standing with California for higher standards, lower emissions and cleaner air. And we’re proud to support and live up to the Paris agreement.”
I’m sure the high-tech all-electric eTransit and all-electric F-150 will find their place among a sea of commercial fleet vehicles, so long as range and charge times are respected. DHL Europe told Commercial Carrier Journal’s sister publication Hard Working Trucks it found a great niche for the electric Transits and E-Scooters — delivering packages.
The stop-and-go traffic of parcel delivery is great for recharging those batteries through regenerative braking. Freezing temperatures were not a major concern either.
The obvious key to success with an electric commercial vehicle is having predictable and manageable loads and routes that don’t impede too heavily on range. Stick with that and enjoy a total cost of ownership that’s roughly 40% less than conventional, according to Ford. Plus, with 90% fewer powertrain components than conventional, production costs will work out to be much lower in the long run — another plus for OEMs and their customers.
However, California’s not just pushing for lower emissions, as Farley said. They’re gunning hard for zero emissions. Of course, in the interim, they want to lower emissions. Who doesn’t? The end goal, however, is to have all commercial vehicles sold in the state to emit absolutely no pollutants at all. The gradual phase-in starts in 2024 and by the deadline in 2045 all commercial vans and trucks sold in the Golden State will have to meet zero emissions standards.
