By Michael Elkins
American automaker, Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) unveiled a new electric Courier van aimed at winning business customers in Europe, and boxing out electric van startups.
The electric Courier, which will launch next year, is part of a revamped lineup of smaller, commercial vans for the European market. The lineup will be made up of electric, 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.
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."
Shares of F are up 0.32% in pre-market trading on Thursday.