(August 19, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — Detroit Edison President and Chief Operating Officer, Steven Kurmas, this week presented two out of four recently-purchased Ford Transit Connect Electric vehicles at DTE Energy headquarters in downtown Detroit.

With the addition of these four Transit Connect Electrics, DTE Energy continues its effort to expand the company's use of alternative-fuel vehicles.

The Transit Connect Electrics will be used by Detroit Edison field crews performing repair and maintenance and operations to electrical lines and other equipment on the electric distribution system.

“The addition of these all-electric Transit Connects to our fleet will help Detroit Edison advance the use of electric vehicles in a couple of ways,” said Kurmas. “First, we will learn firsthand how these vehicles perform in day-to-day field operations and how we can make the best use of their unique characteristics. Second, they will help us learn more about how the use of electric vehicles by consumers and businesses will impact the electrical system and what utilities need to do to support adoption of these vehicles.”

The Ford Transit Connect Electric, a pure electric-powered version of the award-winning Transit Connect small van, is fitted with a Force Drive battery electric powertrain made by Azure Dynamics  featuring Johnson Controls-Saft’s advanced lithium-ion battery technology.

The all-electric, zero-emission vehicle has a target range of up to 50 to 80 miles per full charge, and will be rechargeable using either 240-volt or standard 120-volt outlets.

Transit Connect Electric is the first product in Ford’s accelerated electrified vehicle plan, and will be followed by the Focus Electric, the C-MAX Hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in 2012 and another next-generation hybrid vehicle later in 2012.