Fleet Transport June 2020

54 | INSIDER
Ford Commercial Vehicles looks
to conquest through conversions
On average fifty percent of
Ford Transits undergo some
type of conversion either
within or outside the van
panels or chassis rails. Ford Europe, is
looking to increase its significant market
share even further by focusing on customer
requirements, be those customers SMEs
or major fleet operators, by engineering,
designing and constructing bespoke
applications through the appointment
of additional authorised conversion
partners.
Behind the scenes at Ford’s UK headquarters
in Dunton, England, additional resources
have been put in place at its Special Vehicles
Engineering (SVE) team. Ford has also
created a Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM)
programme. The QVM programme was
launched to accredit converters that modify
Ford Commercials, providing customers
with the reassurance of selecting conversions
approved by Ford. This in return ensures less
downtime and streamline warranty issues
between all parties. Overall it enables Ford
to offer its customers a one stop shop for
converted vehicles of all kinds, a powerful way
for strengthening its business relationships
with those customers.
At the beginning of 2020, 140 QVM
converters were listed and this will be further
expended. Over two days at Dunton more
than 400 converters were invited to hear from
FLEETVAN&UTILITY | Summer 2020
the Special Engineering Unit team and get an
opportunity to see upcoming new models. To
date 450 core variants of the Transit family
are available for Ford’s QVMs to convert,
offering every combination of powertrain,
body style, size, weight capacity and chassis
type to suit specific applications. Among the
vast array of body transformations available
are refrigeration vans, horseboxes, tippers,
Luton vans and emergency services vehicles
as well as a huge selection of racking systems
and accessories from Ford’s own catalogue
and through third party providers.
Off the shelf solutions include high-capacity
electrical power supplies, beacon preparation
pads and special paint selections for distinctive
company liveries. Other technical assistance
features include the High Specification
Interface Connector that facilitates converters
to tap into more data directly from the
electrical system.
Some of the most popular conversion products
such as Luton box bodies, dropsides and
tippers and even campervans are available
directly from Ford Transit Centres across its
major market dealer network in Europe.
With regard to the specification and design
of the Transit range itself, modifications
are ongoing. During 2020 a new frontwheel-drive
Transit will get a Heavy Duty
powertrain for heavier conversions, while
changes to the suspension on the camper
chassis will save on overall weight. Another
addition is the Transit FWD skeletal chassis
that provides customers with a low-height,
long wheelbase platform for high volume
and heavier loads, as the gross vehicle mass
extends to 4.5 tonnes.
While the order bank for the 2-tonne Transits
in EcoBlue and Hybrid powertrain continues
to grow, the addition of a six-speed automatic
gearbox on FWD models and a new 10-speed
unit on the RHD Transits is noteworthy.
The latter’s advanced technology features
Adaptive Shift Scheduling which assesses