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Plans Change after Smith Electric Vehicles, Ford Mutually Dissolve Prior Agreement



Ford Motor Co. says it has selected Azure Dynamics to build the upcoming Ford Transit Connect electric delivery van after the automaker and Britain's Smith Electric Vehicles mutually decided to sever their longstanding ties.


Smith, which has been using Ford truck chassis in Europe for its electric trucks, had been named last year as builder of the Transit Connect battery-electric vehicle. 


The word we hear is that Smith, which has a North American offshoot, Smith Electric Vehicles U.S., decided the small-EV market is getting too competitive and is going to concentrate its resources on the large-truck segment.


The change won't delay the planned launch of the electric van, though, said Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Moore. "We're still on track for late 2010," she told Green Car Advisor.

Azure, which already works with Ford on the hybrid version of the E450 commercial van due next year, will used its proprietary "ForceDrive" battery-electric powertrain for the Transit Connect EV.
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Tags: Batteries, Ford, Plug-ins and Electric, Smith, EV, Ford Transit Connect BEV, Transit Connect EV

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Ford Names Azure Dynamics to Collaborate on Transit Connect Electric Van was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.