Penske adds Ford E-Transit vans for rental and leasing

Penske Truck Leasing announced it has ordered 750 all-electric Ford E-Transit cargo vans. The company is taking delivery of its first several vehicles in the next several weeks. The move follows successfully piloting the vehicles late last year.

Penske Truck Leasing announced it has ordered 750 all-electric Ford E-Transit cargo vans. (Photo: Penske Truck Leasing)

“We’re excited to help bring these new vehicles to market as both a rental and full-service lease option for our customers,” said Art Vallely, president of Penske Truck Leasing. “We continue to expand and diversify our fleet of electric vehicles and to offer new options for customers seeking more sustainable choices when it comes to transportation.”

Penske’s first Ford E-Transit vehicles will be made available in Southern California with other locations around the U.S. phased in later in the year. These are the first light-duty electric trucks to be made available in Penske’s rental and leasing fleet.

Once these Ford E-Transit electric zero tailpipe emission vehicles go into service, they will be made available for both rental and longer-term full-service leasing. Penske’s long-term plans include adding more of these units to its wider network of rental and leasing locations across North America.

The Ford E-Transit is the first all-electric cargo van from a full-line automaker in North America as the electric version of the Ford Transit. For E-Transit cargo vans in the U.S., Ford is targeting a maximum payload of 3800 lb. and up to 4290 lb. for cutaway versions. It incorporates a proprietary powertrain that consists of a rear-mounted 198 kW electric motor and 67 kWh floor battery that delivers an estimated range of 126 miles in the low-roof cargo van variant. Ford said scheduled maintenance costs for the all-electric Transit are estimated to be 40% less than the average scheduled maintenance costs for a gas-powered 2020 Transit over eight years or 100,000 miles.

The E-Transit allows for both ac and dc fast charging, coming standard with a Ford Mobile Charger that can plug into a normal 120 V outlet for slow and steady charging or into a 240 V outlet for faster charging.