Ford has unveiled its new 2-tonne Transit model at the IAA Commercial Vehicle show in Hannover, which it says provides increased load-carrying capability and upgraded powertrains that optimises fuel efficiency by up to seven per cent.
There is also a new diesel mild hybrid (mHEV) powertrain option that delivers an additional fuel efficiency improvement of around three per cent, compared with the standard diesel model, with up to eight per cent in stop-start urban applications.
The vehicle will be on sale in Europe from mid-2019. “This is a Ford Transit for the modern business world: it’s as tough and practical as our customers demand, cost of ownership is reduced and its connectivity will improve operational efficiency,” said Michael McDonagh, Transit global chief programme engineer, Ford of Europe.
From spring 2020, in addition to the standard six-speed manual gearbox, rear-wheel drive Transit models will be available with Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission featuring Adaptive Shift Scheduling, which assesses individual driving styles to optimise gearshift timings.
The mHEV technology uses a belt-driven integrated starter/generator to replace the standard alternator, enabling recovery and storage of energy during vehicle decelerations, and charging a 48-volt lithium-ion air-cooled battery pack. The stored energy is used to provide torque assistance to the engine under normal driving and acceleration, as well as running the vehicle’s electrical ancillaries.
The mHEV system has been optimised to enhance fuel efficiency for operators rather than providing a performance boost over the standard powertrains. The immediate torque assistance provided by the hybrid system does, however, deliver improved response when pulling away at low engine speeds.
