Ford Pro & Stellantis Announce EV Charging Upgrades

Ford Pro — the division that makes a speciality of industrial autos — and Stellantis each introduced important enhancements to their EV charging networks this week. In a press release, Ford mentioned it’s making two new Sequence 2 AC charging station accessible to prospects who use Ford electrical industrial autos just like the e-Transit and F-150 Lightning of their fleets. The 48 amp Sequence 2 charger prices $1,399 (earlier than incentives) and the 80 amp Sequence 2 charger prices $1,999.

The corporate says the Sequence 2 charger is less complicated to make use of, service, and management. It has a removable cable and connector, RFID reader, elevated connectivity, and could be up to date wirelessly as new charging protocols turn out to be accessible sooner or later. Ford can also be increasing its quick charger community. Each the Sequence 2 AC charging items and its quick chargers are suitable with electrical autos from different producers as properly.

The RFID reader controls entry to the Sequence 2 chargers. Fleet operators can subject a singular Ford Professional RFID card that limits charging classes to sure people or autos. By specifying which days and occasions can be found for charging, the RFID  permits fleet operators to entry vitality utilization stories by means of Ford Professional’s charging administration software program.

The 80 amp Sequence 2 AC chargers will likely be ISO-15118 prepared and outfitted to deal with over the air updates. LCD screens on the Sequence 2 chargers will show step-by-step directions on learn how to start charging in addition to details about cost period, fault alerts, vitality utilization, and extra. Sensors will scale back charger output routinely if overheating happens. The chargers are engineered to perform from -40º to 122º F and at altitudes as much as 3500 meters.

Ford Professional can also be introducing new 180 kW and 240 kW DC quick chargers to provide fleet operators and drivers extra versatility at their office with extra energy and shortened cost occasions.

“We’re dedicated to serving to companies make the transition to electrical simple with a single-minded concentrate on curated industrial charging options,” mentioned Ted Cannis, Ford Professional CEO. “With our tailor-made EV consulting and portfolio of charging {hardware} and software program options, we are able to design, implement and function options for Ford and different manufacturers that can final for a few years to come back. And we aren’t afraid to inform prospects when electrification isn’t but an excellent match and assist them with different options.”

Ford Professional’s BEV Match group helps prospects establish accessible incentives, assists with charging web site design and development, and collaborates with native utilities on vitality wants.

Utilizing Ford Professional charging options permits prospects to cost extra autos at a given time and might enable them to deploy extra electrical autos while not having to attend for an infrastructure improve. The software program tracks efficiency and offers fleet managers with details about consumption of electrical energy, charging speeds, and accessible vary. It can also observe how a lot electrical energy drivers use to maintain their work autos charged at dwelling to allow them to be reimbursed by their employers.

Ford Professional delivers an at all times on, linked buyer expertise by means of its complete details about the autos in a fleet, charging, software program, financing and repair for all industrial and authorities prospects. Ford Professional has almost 125,000 fleet prospects throughout the U.S. and 140,000 in Europe.

Stellantis Boosts Supplier EV Charging

Stellantis says 50% of its new automobile gross sales will likely be electrical autos by 2030. We all know that battery-electric variations of its RAM ProMaster work van and 1500 pickup truck are within the works. The Dodge division is transferring forward with battery-electric variations of the long-lasting Charger and Challenger. Jeep is making an attempt onerous to impress its lineup with out compromising the important qualities that make a Jeep a Jeep. There are even stories of a brand new EV sedan from Chrysler.

However the sellers who carry these manufacturers aren’t prepared, which has led Stellantis to companion with Cost Enterprises to get its 2600 sellers as much as snuff within the charging division to have the ability to promote all these spiffy new EVs that will likely be rolling off the meeting line in years to come back. Stellantis is already working with Future Vitality, Vehya, and AGI to get chargers put in at its sellers.

Cost Enterprises says its administration group has greater than 150 years of automotive OEM experience that can allow it to reinforce the sellers’ expertise and assist the necessities to offer protected, dependable, scalable and versatile infrastructure implementation.

“As our companions within the automotive business transition to electric-vehicle gross sales and repair, our purpose is to offer our 2,600 plus U.S. sellers with prime quality choices that meet their particular person EV integration wants inside each space of the dealership enterprise,” said Jeff Kommor, head of US gross sales at Cost Enterprises within the US. “Cost is supplied with the automotive expertise, client-centric strategy and technical experience wanted to assist assist our sellers and make this implementation protected, dependable, scalable and versatile for future calls for.”

As an skilled infrastructure companion, Cost’s shopper schooling, undertaking administration, design, engineering and set up will present a full-service resolution for sellers.

“The entire sellers we work with worth our devoted strategy and our considerate mindset to delivering options right now whereas making ready our shoppers for the EV infrastructure calls for of tomorrow,” mentioned Mark LaNeve, president of Cost Enterprises. “We stay dedicated to serving to as many automobile sellers all through the nation execute on a lot wanted EV charging infrastructure as we stay centered on assembly the wants of the Stellantis vendor physique, who’re doing an excellent job assembly the wants of their prospects.”

Stellantis is considered one of 7 main automakers, together with BMW Group, Basic Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Mercedes, making a three way partnership to speed up the transition to electrical autos in North America, by making EV charging extra handy, accessible and dependable.

The Takeaway

EV homeowners are realizing an increasing number of that vary isn’t as vital as gaining access to dependable charging choices. As soon as folks know they’ll plug in when wanted, vary nervousness tends to turn out to be a lot much less of a priority.

Ford appears to be taking the EV revolution extra severely than among the different automakers, judging by the actual fact that it’s the just one not whining loudly in regards to the new auto emissions guidelines being proposed by the EPA.

Stellantis continues to be being dragged kicking and screaming into the long run and its sellers appear disinterested in promoting electrical automobiles in any respect until they’re pressured to. Hopefully, attitudes are altering and the brand new charging alternatives from Ford and Stellantis will assist easy the trail of the EV revolution.

I do not like paywalls. You do not like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Right here at CleanTechnica, we applied a restricted paywall for some time, but it surely at all times felt unsuitable — and it was at all times robust to resolve what we must always put behind there. In idea, your most unique and greatest content material goes behind a paywall. However then fewer folks learn it! We simply don’t love paywalls, and so we have determined to ditch ours.

Sadly, the media enterprise continues to be a tricky, cut-throat enterprise with tiny margins. It is a unending Olympic problem to remain above water and even maybe — gasp — develop. So …