Photo: Ford
Air pollution is a big problem in major metropolitan areas, and Ford is looking to curb it with a new technology. The Ford Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid offers a new geofencing feature that automatically switches to fully electric operation when it enters cities or other pre-set “green zones.”
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“Improving the quality of air — and quality of life — in our towns and cities is a goal that we all have a responsibility to drive toward,” said Ford Motor Company of Europe Commercial Vehicle Mobility Director Mark Harvey. “The Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid and its new geofencing feature helps our customers to make a real contribution to that goal without compromising on efficiency or productivity.”
Electric-mode driving cuts emissions
The new feature, available in the fall, uses live location data gathered via the FordPass Connect modem to figure out when a vehicle is crossing into a geofenced area. The technology is inspired in part by the London Ultra Low Emission Zone, which has shown a nearly 30 percent reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions in just six months.
Ford itself has conducted trials to show the effectiveness of low-emission driving. Testing conducted in Central London showed that 75 percent of driving could be done within the city using the Transit Custom PHEV’s electric-only mode. Additional studies taking place in Cologne, Germany, and Valencia, Spain, seek to further show the usefulness of electric driving. The Transit Custom offers up to 31 miles of electric range when fully charged.
The geofencing module doesn’t just detect when it enters a low-emission zone, but it can automatically switch back to hybrid operation once it leaves to regenerate electric power. Ford also expects that data recorded by the module will allow city officials to ensure compliance and determine strategies for charging and operation.
Ford is Europe’s commercial vehicle leader and continues to position itself for the future. Not only is the automaker breaking ground with its Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid and Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid, but it will become one of the first to offer fully electric commercial vehicles. Ford expects to launch an all-electric Transit in the next 24 months and recently reaffirmed its electric-focused partnership with Volkswagen.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.