Exciting new models in the pipeline will keep Ford as CV’s No.1

Ford’s stand-out presence at the CV Show was a sign of its strength in the commercial vehicle sector, as Mandy Dean, Director, Commercial Vehicles Ford of Britain & Ireland, explains

CC&V: Your stand was, once again, many people’s highlight at this year’s CV Show. How did the event go and were you able to judge how the industry was feeling towards EV CV adoption?

Mandy Dean: We’re very pleased with how the event went. As UK market leader the CV Show is a great opportunity to speak directly with new and existing customers, and I think the industry is as excited about the adoption of EVs as we are.

As we edge ever closer to zero-emission vehicles our role is to provide the best products and services for our customers. The E-Transit has been very well received, accounting for 63% of the two-tonne electric commercial vehicle sector. And, of course, we have the one-tonne Transit Custom and all-new Transit Courier to come, both of which will also be available with all-electric powertrains.

CC&V: Twelve months ago you launched Ford Pro. A year on, how have your CV customers benefitted from it, and has it attracted new sustomers?

Ford Pro is only just getting started. It’s based on five pillars – vehicles, servicing, charging, software and finance. We’re seeing rapid growth in the number of connected vehicles – we have more than 141,000 connected commercial vehicles in the UK and this data contributes towards vehicle uptime. We estimate that around 147,000 days of downtime has been spared, saving our connected customers an estimated £60 million.

We’re continuing our rollout of Mobile

Service Vans, too, which further supports vehicle uptime by carrying out routine maintenance on vehicles without having to visit a dealer – this can be done at the roadside or at a depot.

We’ve also seen a six-fold increase in commercial lines of credit since Ford Pro was established, so we’re definitely seeing an upward trend in new customers.

CC&V: By 2035, all new vehicles sold must be zero-emission. This is quite a task. CV operators are now waking up to the fact that they need to go electric, but many remain reluctant or just unsure on how to proceed. What can Ford offer to help operators understand that the switch to electric will not be as difficult as many of them think?

This is what Ford Pro is all about. We want to make running commercial vehicles simple, and that includes the switch to electrification and the required charging solutions.

We provide tools to help operators calculate their EV readiness and requirements – such as E-Switch Assist –outlining which vehicle is the right specification for the job and what their potential cost savings could look like.

We also offer vehicle trials to test that EV readiness in the real world; provide driver training to maximise the range of those vehicles and provide free consultations to determine the best charging infrastructure set-up for their business, from home to depot.

We then help these businesses to simplify the servicing and maintenance of those connected vehicles through our E-Telematics software.

CC&V: The CV Show was a platform for you to show the industry your new E-Transit Courier and E-Transit Custom. Can you tell our readers when these will be arriving?

E-Transit Custom arrives early 2024, while the E-Transit Courier arrives in Q3 2024. Both are very important additions to the Transit family as we embrace an electric future.

CC&V: We were lucky enough to drive the new Ranger Wildtrak this month, a review of which appears in this issue. You’ve described it as ‘Ford’s Global pickup.’ It currently accounts for 57% of the UK pick-up market. Can Ford sell even more Rangers in the UK, and why should customers be excited by your latest version

Absolutely. We’re expanding the Ranger line up to seven models and introducing three new trim levels – Platinum, a luxurious take on the pick-up truck ideal for those who like to tow; and Tremor and Wildtrak X, both of which feature Bilstein dampers and are designed for those who like to take their trucks off-road.

We’re confident we have a Ranger for everyone, as its popularity suggests.

Ranger has been Europe’s best-selling pick-up truck since 2015, and we hope to continue that run for many more years to come.