PickupTrucks.com Tests the 2012 Ford Transit Connect Electric

Ford plans on selling an electric version of its Focus compact car, but the automaker’s first gas-free offering is the Transit Connect Electric. Based on the van that was launched in the U.S. for 2010, the Transit Connect Electric trades the traditional version’s 136-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine for a 74-hp electric motor and a 28-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. But are more robust acceleration and a smaller carbon footprint enough to justify the 2012 Transit Connect Electric’s $35,000 price premium over the base version? According to Cars.com Editor Mike Hanley, Transit Connect Electric’s high cost will be a significant hurdle to its success.

2012 Ford Transit Connect Electric Review

Why the New Ford Ranger Isn't Coming to the U.S.

As Ford prepares to take the wraps off its next-generation Ford Ranger on Oct. 15 in Australia, we finally know for sure it will not replace the current Ranger in the U.S.

Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of global product development, says there are no plans for the new Ranger in the U.S. or Canada at this time. According to Ford, the reasoning is fairly rational: The model would overlap too much with the popular Ford F-Series in America. The F-150 will get a new array of engines for 2011.

The new Ranger will be about 90 percent the size of the F-150, and the new compact pickup could cannibalize sales from the full-size model, according to Kuzak. Kuzak also said the Ranger was mainly used as a cheap means of transportation in this country — the 2011 Ranger starts at $17,935 and gets 22/27 mpg city/highway. Models like the Ford Transit Connect, upcoming seven-passenger Ford C-Max and Ford F-150 with EcoBoost will fill those shopper needs, he said.

The new Ranger — codenamed T6 — is expected to be equipped with a 2.5-liter gasoline-powered four-cylinder and 2.2- and 3.2-liter diesel powetrains, with the possibility of a EcoBoost engine as well, according to our friends at PickupTrucks.com.

For more information on the new Ranger, check out PickupTrucks.com for comprehensive coverage.

Ford Previews All-New Global Ranger, but It's Not Coming to North America (PickupTrucks.com)

2011|Ford|Ranger

Recall Alert: 2010 Ford Transit Connect

Ford has issued a recall for more than 30,000 Transit Connect vans, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

The recall affects models built between Dec. 5, 2008, and May 31, 2010. The pushpins that hold the van’s headliner (the vehicle’s ceiling fabric) do not meet a federal safety standard and may not provide enough head protection in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. You can find out if your car is included in the recall by checking the driver-side doorjamb, where a sticker lists the date of assembly.

Ford will notify the affected owners, and dealerships will repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall is expected to begin around July 19. Owners can contact Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

2010|Ford|Transit Connect

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Ford Transit Connect

We usually don’t review commercial vans at Cars.com, but as editor Mike Hanley points out, the 2010 Ford Transit Connect is simply too interesting to pass up. With origins in Europe where streets are narrower and gas prices higher, the Transit Connect is goofy, utilitarian and fuel efficient all at once. Check out Hanley’s full review to find out why he thinks Ford’s new commercial van could catch on in the States.

2010 Ford Transit Connect Review

2011 Ford Transit Connect Electric at 2010 Chicago Auto Show

• Competes with: Commercial vans and minivans
• Looks like: A Transit Connect with a power cord
• Drivetrain: 300-volt (nominal) electric motor rated at 173 pounds-feet of maximum torque; 28 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack; single-speed transmission; front-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Late 2010 for commercial sale

The Transit Connect Electric will be Ford's first battery-electric vehicle, ahead of the Ford Focus Electric, which will be offered to regular consumers in 2011. The gas-powered Transit Connect, which is already on sale in the U.S., is intended as a lower-cost, higher-mileage alternative to full-size commercial vans. The electric version is a natural for commercial and fleet use because many such vehicles travel a predictable number of miles in a day and are parked in the same location where charging points are assured.

Start-stop city driving — as a delivery van would experience — also plays to an electric vehicle's strengths. Ford says the TCE has a range of up to 80 miles and can charge from a fully depleted state in six to eight hours on 240 volts. Although 120 volts is an option, charging takes longer. The van's top speed is 75 mph.

Like the gas-powered Transit Connect, the Electric will be manufactured in Turkey, but the electric drivetrain will be installed by motor supplier Azure Dynamics at a location to be determined in Michigan.

Also at the Chicago show, Ford introduced a Transit Connect taxi that uses gasoline but can be converted to run on propane or compressed natural gas, adding yet another alternative drivetrain for the model.

2010 Ford Lineup 20% More Efficient; Turbo Four-Cylinder Confirmed

Today, Ford took the wraps off its 2010 model lineup and made some pretty significant announcements, despite most models not seeing major changes. The biggest news that will grab headlines is the fact that the 2010 Ford lineup is 20% more fuel-efficient than the 2009 lineup. And this is without dropping any large vehicles from the lineup.

Significant chunks of that mileage improvement come from the Ford Fusion family of cars, including the 2010 Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ. The base Fusion and Milan, for example, see their combined mileage increase from 23 mpg to 25 mpg. Even a base 2010 Mustang now gets 21 mpg combined, compared with 20 mpg in 2009. The V-8s also add 1 mpg. The Edge crossover also adds 1 mpg in combined mileage. Even the 2010 F-150’s V-8 adds 1 more mpg to its highway or city rating, depending on transmission.

Big news on the new-product side of things is confirmation from Ford of a new turbo four-cylinder engine.  

First Drive: 2010 Ford Transit Connect

The last time a peculiar, box-shaped car from overseas was sprung on the U.S. market, it was a surprise hit. Don't let the boxy styling and relatively minuscule four-cylinder fool you, though — this is no Scion xB. The 2010 Ford Transit Connect won't be seen at the high school parking lot with blacked-out headlights, a neon underglow and a coffee-can muffler — unless the vending machines are being restocked by a small-business owner with too much time on his hands. Normally Cars.com wouldn't bother with a model intended for commercial use, but there's a newfound interest in everything the domestic automakers do, and the Transit Connect also happens to be one of the first models Ford will offer as a pure battery-electric next year, so I gladly took one for a spin.

Ford Transit Connect Family One Concept

• Looks like: Nearly identical to the commercial version of this boxy delivery van going on sale this summer
• Defining characteristics: Boxy shape, kid-friendly features
• Ridiculous features: Partition between front and rear seats
• Chance of being mass-produced: Slim, simply because families will want something with better mileage and/or more seating

When Ford said its first European product to hit the States would be the Transit Connect work van, we were not too enthused. We cover cars for the general consumer, not businesses. Therefore, we should be excited about this concept of the same Transit that’s built especially for families. However, despite lots of nifty features like built-in hand sanitizer dispensers, the concept grossly misses the mark.

For one thing, the base Transit going on sale this summer costs $22,475, including a destination charge, and gets 22/25 mpg city/highway. Ford calls this a “green” family vehicle. If you bought a Toyota RAV4 for about the same $22,000, you’d get a four-cylinder that’s good for 22/28 mpg.

Ford says the Transit Connect is for the “coolest mom” and touts its looks. Yes, you read that right, its looks.