Ford took advantage of an event at Parque das Nações, in Lisbon, last Friday, to present its plans for the medium-long term, while also presenting what could very well be the future of freight transport at a global scale.
Yes, electric cars are interesting, but… What about trucks? Do they also have the right to electrification? Yes, they do! However, it is a much more complicated mission.
Ford E-Truck: A 100% electric truck. But there is a lot to evolve.
Therefore, Ford Trucks, a global brand in the heavy commercial vehicle industry, unveiled its solutions for the short, medium and long-term energy transition, last Friday, in Lisbon.
The brand is committed to reaching 2030 with 50% zero carbon vehicles. A goal that involves the energy transition based on the adoption of hydrogen, and of course, the famous batteries.
This is where the E-Truck comes in, a 100% electric truck that should hit the roads in 2024. But, quite honestly, it may not be the future of this market. Ford continues with everything open, waiting for new technological developments! After all, in addition to batteries, there is a focus on hydrogen, synthetic fuels, and even hybrid fuels.
Why such a scattered focus?
It’s very simple. Despite the viability of batteries in everyday vehicles, things get quite complicated in the world of heavy vehicles. There is a very fragile balance between the weight of the batteries, and the autonomy they can provide taking into account the power, and all the weight that the truck will have to carry from point A to point B. After all, in addition to the batteries, these trucks They will also have to carry many tons of the most varied cargo.
This is why the first versions of Ford’s E-Truck can only offer around 300 kilometers of autonomy (4×2 and 6×2 axle configuration). However, charging is actually quite fast, with the promise of 75 minutes “plugged in” to charge the gigantic and heavy batteries (battery capacity 392 kWh).
This is exactly why this first electric truck from Ford will have to be limited to shorter routes, leaving the “more serious work” to current Diesel alternatives. The energy transition will undeniably be more complicated in this field. However, Ford Trucks’ focus is incredible, especially on developing technologies and solutions to achieve its goals.
Meanwhile, if you’re interested in the thing, the first prototype of the E-Truck will be on display at the Ford Trucks Portugal showroom in Alverca next month.
