Ford displays its large fleet of commercial vehicles

By Al Vinikour
MotorwayAmerica.com

(December 10, 2011) DEARBORN, Mich. — One of the nice things about shopping at a “big box” store like Best Buy or Wal-Mart is that everything they sell is on display for all to see and compare. The other day a group of us auto journalists were given a similar opportunity when Ford Motor Company displayed its entire line of commercial vehicles at its Dearborn Proving Ground.
 
Six out of 10 commercial vehicles are made by Ford. Furthermore, over 45% of the motor homes sold are built on Ford chassis. Ford builds commercial vehicles in Classes 1-7. As a reference point a Class 8 truck encompasses such over-the-road vehicles as Freightliner, Mack, Kenworth, et cetera. Ford contributes parts to Class 8 vehicles but doesn’t build them anymore.

2012 Ford F-750
 
Not only were we shown the vehicles but we also had the opportunity to drive them around the 2.5-mile oval track. Vehicles ranged from F-150 pickups (the best-selling truck in North America for 34 straight years and in the past year has picked up almost a 2% increase in market share and is in essence a true work truck) to an F-650 heavy-duty dump truck that’s powered by a 6.8L V10 gas engine with 362 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. An optional Cummins turbo-diesel delivers 360 horsepower and bumps up torque to an unbelievable 800 pound-feet. In between were the “usual” suspects: school buses, fire trucks, bread trucks, delivery vans, etc.
 
Perhaps the biggest news was the announcement that the company’s vaunted E-Series — generally called “Econoline” — of which 97% of its sales are in the commercial market, will be replaced by the all-new (to North America) Ford Transit in 2013.


Ford's long-running E-Series van, left, will be replaced in 2013 by the Transit
 
Not to be confused with the Transit Connect, which is a smaller commercial and personal van, the Transit Van is already used in Europe; it’s fuel-efficient, estimated to burn 25% less fuel than its predecessor and weighs 300 pounds less than the E-Class and is a full-size van. For the past 32 years the Econoline family has been the top selling van in the United States. You can’t go to an airport or even a church without seeing enough of them to build your own car lot. Transit will be built at Ford’s manufacturing plant in Kansas City.
 
The F-650/F-750 is a real bear of a truck and is just shy of landing in the Class 8 category. What’s even more interesting is to see that brute drive around the track sporting an automatic transmission. I’m sure truck-driving history is replete with operators with Popeye-like arms that were molded from the force it used to take to drive a heavy-duty truck with conventional steering and a 10+-speed Road Ranger transmission.
 
Ford offers a 205” chassis for use with such vehicles as large delivery vans like the aforementioned bread truck, FedEx and UPS package trucks, etc. After 5 minutes with the bread truck I can highly recommend using it to dissuade those contemplating quitting school. I can guarantee the percentages of those who think that dropping out is smart, and realize they could face a lifetime of doing something like driving that bread truck, will drop like a rock.
 
Another major segment of commercial vehicles that few in the general public think of is  police cars, taxis and other big cars and trucks that are heavily used by municipalities. As far as police cars go Ford now offers a Police Interceptor Sedan version of its Taurus. It is equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 or the highly-successful 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that delivers V8 power combined with V6 fuel economy. Ford also offers a Police Interceptor Utility that boasts a 20% improvement in fuel economy over the Crown Victoria. It’s designed for canines or even S.W.A.T. teams.


New Ford Police Interceptor, left, and the new limousine version of the Lincoln MKT
 
Another aspect is executive transport/limousines. Ford is offering a limousine version of its MKT that it’s calling the MKT Town Car. It’s available in two body styles – livery and limousine. Lincoln’s share of this market has been over 70% and the next-generation MKTs are designed to hold Ford’s leadership position. The MKT offers a higher roofline, roomier and more sophisticated seating, a spacious trunk and easier passenger ingress and egress. It already has a long-wheel-base so there’s no need to lengthen it. Ford is betting a lot on the MKT to hold its share of the livery and limousine market.
 
Through this program Ford demonstrated to us that in order to be a leader in a global market there has to be a cacophony of global products. A company can’t be part of this mix if all it offers is a passenger sedan and a bucket truck. And also it proved that the word “Global” is not just some adjective thrown in to enhance a product or even a brand.
 
Manufacturing, design and sales are done every second of every day somewhere around the globe. Only the drachmas and pesos have been changed to protect the innocent.