Ford Pro details EV charging services ahead of E-Transit launch

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co.’s commercial vehicle arm, Ford Pro, sees charging services as a key revenue opportunity as it prepares in the coming months to launch its first electric vehicle targeted at business owners.

Officials on Thursday laid out a number of charging initiatives they hope capture more than $1 billion in revenue by 2030. They include helping fleet owners design, install and service charging depots, coordinating energy usage with local utilities and helping employees install and manage home chargers.

The company is pitching Ford Pro Charging as “end-to-end” solutions for owners that would involve both one-time payments and recurring subscription fees. It comes ahead of the launch of the E-Transit van, expected to reach dealerships in early 2022.

“Customers are saying, ‘We want the E-Transit and F-150 Lightning Pro, but how are we going to charge and operate them efficiently once they’re in our fleet?'” Ted Cannis, CEO of Ford Pro, said in a statement. “They are depending on us to provide the electric vehicles and the integrated solutions designed for EVs that they need for charging and connectivity. Ford Pro Charging is an industry-first solution that is focused on helping our customers plan for, operate and deploy charging solutions so they can reduce operating costs and improve efficiency.”

Cannis, on a call with reporters, said he expects Ford to become the industry’s top commercial-EV producer within two years.

Ford this year acquired Electriphi, a fleet-charging service provider, to help bolster its charging operations.

Muffi Ghadiali, CEO of Electriphi who was recently appointed head of Ford Pro Charging, said the company was intentional about offering a full range of services by the time the E-Transit launched.

“EVs and charging can’t be separated,” he said on the media call. “Fueling and transportation have always been tied together. That’s the approach we’ve taken here as well.”

Ford Pro Charging will consist of three areas: depot charging, home charging and public charging. The company plans to help businesses build and install depot chargers and will use software and work with local utilities to find optimal charging times that don’t overly tax power grids.

Ford Pro estimates that the depot charging industry will grow to more than 900,000 full-size trucks and vans by 2030.

The company also plans to help businesses install chargers at the homes of their employees and will use software tools to monitor power usage so those employees can be compensated by their employers. In public, Ford Pro offers businesses access to roughly 70,000 charging ports through its Blue Oval Charging Network.

Ghadiali said Ford Pro Charging services will include a mix of one-time fees as well as recurring subscription fees that business owners can finance with a dedicated tool called FinSimple. Officials declined to discuss specific costs.