Ford Pro, Ford’s commercial division, has introduced the Ford Pro Smart Charging Bundle to assist fleets with the process of adding electric vehicles to their operations. The program aims to reduce upfront and ongoing charging costs.
The bundle is launching in Massachusetts and will offer a free Ford Pro 48-amp charger for home or worksite charging, or an 80-amp charger for worksite charging, to Ford Pro Charging software subscribers enrolled in the Clean Peak Energy Standard (CPS), a first-in-the-nation program established by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources in 2020.
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“Our team is focused on easing the transition to electric for business and government customers,” said Ted Cannis, Ford Pro CEO. “Through this program, Ford Pro customers essentially get their own virtual ‘charging manager,’ as we will do the heavy lifting such as providing no-cost charging hardware, managing the charging schedule, avoiding peak rates, and ensuring business EVs are powered up appropriately to get work done.”
Ford Pro Charging has over 1,000 commercial worksite depots that power up fleet EVs. The commercial division also offers tailored EV consulting and a portfolio of integrated charging hardware and software solutions. The team can design, implement, and operate solutions for Ford and other brand vehicles to help businesses ensure that fleet vehicles are charged optimally and ready for work when they need them.
Accoridng to the company, Ford Pro Charging software monitors millions of data points per day to continually improve the EV charging experience for commercial customers, allowing businesses to customize and manage their EV and charger performance. Operating costs are estimated to be 48% lower or more in terms of fuel and maintenance costs for fleets with electric vehicles, based on scheduled maintenance costs for electric versus gas-powered E-Transit and F-150 models over 5 years or 75,000 miles. Additionally, businesses charging Ford EVs could potentially save hundreds of dollars per vehicle, per year, leveraging smart charging software to schedule charging during off-peak hours, based on TXU Energy rates and Transmission and Distribution Utility costs per kWh. By leveraging demand response, which curtails EV charging during peak times, energy loads can be managed, resulting in cost savings for businesses and a cleaner power grid.
“Clean energy technologies like energy storage and demand response resources, when used during peak electricity demand, lower the likelihood that we need to call on expensive fossil fuels,” said Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. “Through its Clean Peak Energy Standard, [Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources] believes these technologies can reduce costs for ratepayers, lower Massachusetts’ emissions, and create a more resilient electric grid. Ford Pro’s Smart Charging Bundle is now among the tools to help Massachusetts shift to a clean energy portfolio and achieve net zero emissions in 2050.”
