Charge it Up: Ford Pro Expands Charging Solutions for Commercial Fleets

Ford Pro, the commercial division within Ford Motor Company, revealed new charging hardware added to its suite of end-to-end solutions to help make it easier for commercial fleets to transition to electric, such as its Ford Pro F-150 Lightning and eTransit. 

The new Series 2 AC Charging Station 80 amp and expanded DC Fast Charger options are designed for commercial vehicles and packed with new features. Coupled with Ford Pro’s charging management software, the company provides a fully integrated solution that simplifies EV charging for both Ford and non-Ford electric vehicles.  

“We’re committed to helping businesses make the transition to electric easy with a single-minded focus on curated commercial charging solutions,” said Ted Cannis, Ford Pro CEO. “With our tailored EV consulting and portfolio of charging hardware and software solutions, we can design, implement, and operate solutions for Ford and other brands that will last for many years to come. And we are not afraid to tell customers when electrification is not yet a good fit and support them with other solutions.” 

For Pro BEV Fit: Consulting & Charging 

Ford Pro BEV Fit is complimentary consulting available to commercial fleets to help identify available incentives, consult on charging site design and construction, and collaborate with local utilities on energy needs. 

Now available for pre-order, the Series 2 AC Charging Station 80 amp comes with features that simplify and help improve the charging experience at the workplace for fleet operators and their drivers, including: 

• Enhanced security with RFID that limits unwanted charger access. Fleet operators can issue a unique Ford Pro RFID card to control access to chargers, limiting charging sessions to specific individuals or vehicles by specifying days and times for access. The new RFID software also supports Ford and non-Ford vehicles, unlocking the ability for fleet operators to track energy reports through Ford Pro’s charging management software. 
• Improved detachable cable and connector reduces charger repair time and expense, avoiding replacing the entire charging station if a cable or connector is damaged. 
• Wide range of connectivity options with cellular pre-configured and optional Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity for locations with restricted cellular coverage. 
• The new Series 2 AC Charging Station 80 Amp will be ISO-15118 ready and equipped to enable future functionality over the air, such as advanced vehicle-to-charger communications that can identify and log when a specific vehicle connects. Ford Pro designed the new hardware to be ready for the future so customers are better prepared for new electric vehicles and future capabilities. 
• The new LCD screen on the Series 2 charger displays step-by-step instructions to initiate charging and important information, including charge duration, fault alerts, energy usage, etc. 
• Temperature sensors to monitor and alert for overheating by derating the charger automatically. 
• Extended operating temperature range of -40-degrees F to 122-degrees F and operating altitude of up to 3,500m to serve fleets’ needs in more places. 
• The new Ford Pro charging hardware is backed by a 3-year warranty on charger parts and labor and continues to provide around-the-clock tech support to help increase uptime and fleet productivity.
• Ford Pro Telematics, chargers, software, and service work seamlessly to provide fleet operators and managers with a single solution to monitor their vehicle network 24/7. 

Increasing Charging Versatility  

Ford Pro also revealed extended DC Fast Charger options in 180kW and 240kW, giving fleet operators and their drivers more versatility at their workplace with more power and shortened charge times. Aluminum pedestals feature an improved cable retractor and a sleeker look. The new Ford Pro DC Fast Chargers are available for pre-order now.

Ford Pro Chargers work with Ford Pro’s smart charging software to ensure vehicles are charged when customers need them. The integrated software and hardware solution helps fleet managers optimize how, when, and where EVs are charged, along with utility reimbursement reporting, important for home-based drivers.  

Ford Pro Charging solutions can also allow customers to charge more vehicles at a given time. Fleets can deploy more EVs without necessarily needing to wait for an infrastructure upgrade. The software also tracks performance, provides fleet managers with insights like kWh consumption, charge speed, and distance to empty, and helps optimize total cost of ownership.   

Businesses can also help lower their total cost of ownership by understanding the various incentives available to them. To help ease confusion, Ford Pro curated commercial incentives to make it easy to find available incentives for tax credits on EVs, charging equipment, and charging installation costs. 

The company also launched a program with professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) to help give customers no-cost information to learn about IRA tax credits for which they may qualify. Available incentives include: 

• Up to a 30% federal tax credit on charging and installation costs.  
• Up to $7,500 back on each new qualified EV purchased in 2023.  
• Hundreds of federal, state, and local EV incentives and rebates.