European Ford E-Transit Production Has Officially Begun

April 7, 2022 9:24 am

The Ford E-Transit – an all-electric version of the ultra-popular Ford Transit – was revealed back in November 2020, and has since embarked on a number of customer pilot programs. The E-Transit entered production at the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant last November and began shipping to U.S. customers in February, but the EV van is headed to many other places, including Mexico and Europe after Ford took 10,000 initial orders for the new model in America alone. Now, the automaker has announced that European Ford E-Transit production is officially underway as the very first EV van has rolled off the assembly line at the Ford Otosan Assembly Plant in Turkey after it secured over 5,000 orders for the new model in that region.

“Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli plant is the heart of Transit production in Europe, and this celebration of E-Transit manufacturing starts the electrified next chapter in our already strong partnership,” said Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe. “This is the first step in a transformation of the Kocaeli site which will see it become a major center for electric commercial vehicle manufacturing in Europe.”

“Production of E-Transit in our Kocaeli plant, where the electricity is supplied with 100 percent renewable energy, is a source of pride for us and another turning point in our increasing role in Ford’s electrification strategy,” said Güven Özyurt, general manager, Ford Otosan. “We believe that electrification of the legendary Transit model is a major development and an important step for making Ford Otosan the production base of Ford electrified commercial vehicles.”

The start of E-Transit production is just the beginning of that plant’s transformation, as it will also produce the next-generation Volkswagen Transporter van. Meanwhile, Ford Otosan – a joint venture equally owned by Ford Motor Company and Koc Holding – also recently assumed ownership of the Ford Craiova Assembly Plant in Romania, while a newly formed joint venture between Ford, SK On Co., Ltd., and Koc will oversee the operation of a new commercial vehicle battery plant in Turkey as well.

We’ll have more on the E-Transit soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Transit news and ongoing Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.