Ford's decision to offer an electric version of its award-winning Transit Connect van is giving a boost to a small Oak Park company, Azure Dynamics, and is expected to create new jobs in metro Detroit.
Ford will unveil a Transit Connect Electric commercial van as well as a Transit Connect Taxi powered by compressed natural gas today at the Chicago Auto Show.
Both vehicles, based on the Transit Connect that won North American Truck of the Year for 2009, are expected to go on sale late this year.
Ford and Azure work together on gas-electric hybrids, but the Transit Connect Electric will be the first electric vehicle for both companies.
"I can't think of a better entrée" into the electric vehicle business, said Azure CEO Scott Harrison.
Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development, said the Transit Connect Electric is well-suited for companies whose vehicles travel on predictable, short routes.
The Transit Connect Electric will have an expected range of up to 80 miles on a full charge and will have a top speed of 75 m.p.h.
For Ford, the Transit Connect Electric is just one part of a broader electric vehicle strategy. Ford plans to bring three more electric vehicles to market by 2012.
That includes the Focus Electric in 2011 and two models that have not been disclosed: a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 2012 and a next-generation hybrid in 2012.
Adding employees
Because of Azure's work on the Transit Connect, the company plans to double its engineering and development staff from about 30 to 60 this year, Harrison said.
Azure develops gas-electric hybrid technology for shuttle buses and commercial trucks, including a hybrid electric version of a Ford E-450.
Among its customers: FedEx, AT&T and Purolator Couriers.
Azure picked up the contract to install the electric powertrain on the Transit Connect Electric after an agreement between London, England-based Smith Electric Vehicles and Ford was terminated last October.
At the time, Smith said the "volumes did not justify the investment," and that it wanted to concentrate its investments on bigger
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