The new Ford Transit will help boost productivity for operators by enabling them to work longer on short winter days, using a powerful LED downlighter to illuminate a workspace behind the vehicle.
Housed in a unit on the rear of the new Transit’s roof and activated using a switch conveniently located inside the rear door, the energy-efficient downlighter is designed to allow tradespeople to continue working with tools and equipment on a workbench outdoors after the sun has gone down. The downlighter switches off automatically if the battery charge is getting low, and automatically extinguishes if the driver pulls away without turning it off.
“Our new Transit has been designed to maximise productivity for businesses, and we listened carefully to feedback from operators about the ways we could make their lives easier. The new downlighter is an example of a simple idea that helps hard-working tradespeople get the job done for their customers,” said Michael McDonagh, Transit global chief programme engineer, Ford of Europe.
For many industries, short winter days coincide with increased demand for services. Emergency call-outs for plumbers and heating engineers traditionally spike in winter as householders are hit by heating system breakdowns or burst pipes caused by freezing conditions – one of the most common reasons for home insurance claims. In the U.K., £194 million (€218 million) was paid out in claims relating to burst pipes during the exceptionally cold first quarter of 2018, according to the Association of British Insurers .*
In London, U.K., this year’s shortest day provides almost nine fewer daylight hours than the longest day; in Munich, Germany, almost eight fewer hours; and in Barcelona, Spain, almost six fewer hours.
Alongside the new Transit’s LED downlighter is a rear-view camera that improves visibility when reversing. Further new Transit technologies designed to make life less stressful when manoeuvring and parking include a front wide-view camera, Parking Aid, Active Park Assist featuring Park-Out Assist, and Cross Traffic Alert.
Providing increased load-carrying capability and upgraded powertrains that optimise fuel efficiency by up to 7 per cent, the new Transit also offers a segment-first new diesel mild hybrid (mHEV) powertrain option that delivers an additional fuel efficiency improvement of around 3 per cent compared with the standard diesel model, with up to 8 per cent in stop-start urban applications.**
The new Transit also is connected as never before, offering operators the benefits of the FordPass Connect on-board modem technology which will help fleet professionals to improve vehicle utilisation and optimise running costs.
On sale in Europe from mid-2019, the new Transit builds on the success of the outgoing model, which has helped to establish the Transit nameplate as the leader in its segment in both Europe and North America. Sales growth for the Transit family in Europe has continued during 2018, with 284,600 sold year to date after sales hit a 25-year high in November.***
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* Association of British Insurers www.abi.org.uk
** Officially homologated fuel-efficiency and CO2 emission figures will be published closer to on-sale date
