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The electric Courier is part of a revamped lineup of smaller,
commercial vans for the European market that will also include
gasoline and diesel models, Ford said. The new Courier vans are
25% larger than the current model, and will carry heavier loads,
Ford Pro chief Ted Cannis said in an interview.
The electric Courier will respond to European commercial
customers who operate in cities, such as Paris, where officials
have mapped out plans to ban combustion vehicles from city
centers, Cannis said. The electric Courier will launch next
year.
However, Cannis said, European countries are not shifting to
electric vehicles at the same pace. "Country by country, it's
dramatically different," he said. Petrol Couriers will stay in
the lineup, with new models launching this summer.
"You have to mix and match all options market by market," he
said. "Which is what makes it so different for new players."
Separately, Cannis said Ford expects many U.S. commercial fleet
customers will receive $7,500 tax credits if they buy electric
Transit vans. New U.S. government rules will cut the tax credit
for retail buyers of electric Transit vans to $3,750 as of April
18, Ford said on Wednesday.
Ford is collaborating with accounting firm Ernst & Young to
advise U.S. commercial customers on whether they will qualify
for $7,500 tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act.
(Reporting By Joe White; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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