Special Ford E-Transit Helping Dock Giant Ships In Denmark

Since its launch, the Ford E-Transit has become a favorite among commercial customers looking to cut their respective operating costs, with Consumers Energy, New York City, the California Vanpool Authority (CalVans), Meals on Wheels of San Francisco, DHL, and the United States Post Office (USPS) among the many entities to place an order for the EV van thus far. Many have discovered that the Ford E-Transit is good for more than just hauling goods and people around town, however. That list includes the Port of Aarhus, which is using a specially-outfitted E-Transit to help dock massive cargo ships in Denmark.

This unique Ford E-Transit is officially referred to as a “cable car” by the folks at the Port of Aarhus, as it’s equipped with large electric winches that are used to reel in the mooring lines that secure cargo ships arriving at the port, which is the largest of its kind in the country of Denmark. This special E-Transit is also the first electric mooring vehicle in Scandinavia, to boot.

To create the Ford E-Transit mooring vehicle, the Port of Aarhus sent a chassis cab model to a conversion company called Knebel Drilling, which outfitted it with two winches – each capable of pulling up to 700 kilograms (1,543 pounds) –  powered by an independent 24-volt power system. One of the two winches is used to anchor the van in place while the other pulls the mooring cables.

“We have been exploring various electric vehicles for a while to see if they could provide a platform for the electric winch from Knebel Drilling, and we found that in the Ford E-Transit,” said Anne Zachariassen, chief operating officer, Port of Aarhus. “We are very proud to have been a part of the development of an entirely new specialized vehicle for the industry.”

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