Ford Pro is now shipping the first production units of its all-electric E-Transit van to customers across Europe from the Ford Otosan factory in Kocaeli, Turkey. It is a milestone that closely follows the start of deliveries to US customers from the company’s Kansas City Assembly Plant in February.

The landmark moment was celebrated at the Gölcük plant, in a ceremony involving Turkish government representatives, investors, employees and media.

Following strong early demand for the E-Transit from European businesses – with over 5,000 customer orders received before vehicles roll off the assembly line – Ford Otosan is now moving to full mass production.

“Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli plant is the heart of Transit production in Europe, and this celebration of E-Transit manufacturing starts the electrified next chapter in our already strong partnership,” said Hans Schep, General Manager at Ford Pro, Europe.

“This is the first step in a transformation of the Kocaeli site which will see it become a major centre for electric commercial vehicle manufacturing in Europe.”

The E-Transit is the all-electric version of the world’s best-selling cargo van, and the new vehicle spearheads the launch of Ford Pro in the region. This new business offers customers a suite of software, EV charging, servicing and financing solutions fully integrated into a portfolio of world-class gas and electric vehicles to help improve productivity and uptime, lower costs, and facilitate access to everything operators need on one platform built for the electric and digital age.

“Production of E-Transit in our Kocaeli plant, where the electricity is supplied with 100 per cent renewable energy, is a source of pride for us and another turning point in our increasing role in Ford’s electrification strategy,” said Güven Özyurt, general manager, Ford Otosan.

“We believe that electrification of the legendary Transit model is a major development and an important step for making Ford Otosan the production base of Ford electrified commercial vehicles.”