Ford Pro, the commercial division of Ford Motor Company, has introduced new digital tools — including E-Switch Assist — to help integrate electric vans and trucks into fleets in a way that best meets business objectives.
The first step toward commercial electrification is figuring out which vehicles in a fleet are ready to make the transition. In a survey of fleet operators who have integrated electric vehicles, gas and diesel vehicles still make up 58% of their fleet on average, and hybrid vehicles make up almost 20%.
Ford Pro E-Switch Assist helps business and government customers determine if they’re ready to add electric vans and trucks to their fleet — including the E-Transit van and F-150 Lightning pickup — and can help identify which areas in the fleet are ready for switching. This complimentary web-based tool is available in the U.S., United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Norway and the Netherlands.
E-Switch Assist uses advanced algorithms developed by the Ford Pro data science team to analyze connected vehicle data to compare the energy consumption of gas-powered vehicles with the estimated energy needs of comparable electric vehicles, recommending which gas-powered vehicles are suitable to switch. The tool accounts for distance driven, cargo load, vehicle efficiency, terrain, driver-specific behavior, external climate and cabin heating load. The tool also estimates the required number of daily charges for both individual vehicles and fleets of all sizes.
“Smart tools informed by data like E-Switch Assist are opening up many new conversations with our commercial customers large and small about EV readiness; we’re already using E-Switch Assist regularly in consultations to help organizations determine if electric trucks and vans are right for them,” says Nathan McDonald, EV Strategy and brand manager at Ford Pro. “The importance of these tools and technologies goes beyond selling a customer a new vehicle. It changes mindsets about whether electric vehicles will work for their business while potentially saving them time and money.”
E-Switch Assist equips businesses with the insights needed to identify which part of their fleet operations are ready to transition to electric without disruption to their business. To date, the E-Switch Assist tool has evaluated over 38,000 commercial vehicles, revealing that nearly 53% are potential candidates for transitioning to electric power.
In surveys conducted with fleet operators, almost 30% said their employees take company vehicles home after work. Available now, the Ford Pro Series 2 48-amp charger is a commercial-grade solution designed for home use by employees. Ideal for charging overnight at home, the charger features RFID technology for both control and ease of access, LCD display, and standard cellular connectivity with no Wi-Fi required, and it will work on Ford and non-Ford vehicles.
Ford Pro Charging Software manages employee charging activity regardless of vehicle make or location. It monitors usage, provides energy reimbursement reports, can set automated charging schedules and monitors real-time household utility rates to schedule charging for non-peak hours.