Modern Cars

At Ford Pro we’re on a mission to help businesses of all kinds find ways to reduce their costs and become more productive – and part of that is helping them into electrified vans.   Now we’ve revealed our all-new Transit Connect, 1 which for the first time offers an advanced plug-in hybrid (PHEV) option. As a result, customers can now choose a version from every model in our four-strong Transit family that is capable of driving with zero tailpipe emissions.   Our Transit Connect PHEV uses a clever new system that combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine for long-distance ability, a high-voltage battery, and an electric motor for quiet, pure-electric driving in EV Now mode. It’s ideal for operators with depots in business parks or who live in the suburbs, but also operate their vans in low-emission zones and city centres.   Charging is simple. Customers can recharge at 11 kW between shifts using a home charger or a charger at the company depot. 2 If unplanned detours mean ...

It’s official: Our Kuga Plug-in Hybrid was Europe’s bestselling plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) in 2023. 1,2 It’s the third year in a row 1 that our family-sized SUV – which can drive with zero-tailpipe emissions in EV Now mode 3 – has topped the PHEV sales charts. Last year, customers bought 25 per cent more Kuga Plug-in Hybrids than the next bestselling PHEV. 1 Our new Kuga Plug-in Hybrid was unveiled at the very start of this year, and there’s even more to love. The new model accelerates faster and can now tow up to 2,100 kg – better than any other vehicle in its class. 4 It makes journeys more comfortable with technology that can slow automatically for bends, roundabouts and exit ramps on sat-nav routes, 5 and offers a 360-degree camera system 5,6 that can display a bird’s-eye view of the SUV on the 13.2-inch centre screen when parking. It’s better connected too. The SYNC 4 infotainment system 7 integrates smartphones with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android...

Our Kuga Plug-In Hybrid was the bestselling PHEV in Europe in 2021 and 2022 1,2 – and is on course to repeat this feat in 2023.   Now we are introducing a new version, with a fresh look inside and out, an enhanced powertrain for more performance and pulling power, and the latest generation infotainment and driver assistance systems.   Up to 69 km 3 of pure electric driving is great for owners who can take advantage of home or public charging, but what about those who can’t?   We’ve a solution for them too. Our new Kuga Hybrid doesn’t need to be plugged in to charge, but can use battery power to help the engine deliver up to 900 km of driving range on a single tank of fuel 4 and up to 64 per cent pure electric driving in the city. 5 Both our Kuga Plug-In Hybrid and the all-wheel drive version of our Kuga Hybrid accelerate faster than the outgoing models, and have best-in-class towing ability of up to 2,100 kg 6 – enough to pull a large caravan or horsebox easily.  ...

Olive trees bear a fruit that is consumed all over the world, as snacks, oil and tapenades. Now, we have explored using branches, twigs and leaves that are discarded during harvest for more sustainable auto parts. The trial was conducted as part of the COMPOlive project that is committed to delivering environmental change in olive production, using biocomposites instead of plastic, and supporting the circular economy.   Using olive tree waste for auto parts could both reduce the plastic used in such parts and support cleaner air in the local area by avoiding burning as a means of waste disposal.   Engineers produced prototype footrests and parts of the boot area using olive tree waste. Testing has shown the parts produced are both robust and durable and we are now evaluating the process for mass use, to potentially help deliver the next wave of electric vehicles.   For the trial, the waste materials were sourced from olive groves in Andalusia, Spain, the region with the...

Since we launched our E-Transit 1 electric van in 2022, it’s been turned into an ambulance , cleaned up fish deliveries across London – and now a unique E-Transit is helping to dock vast cargo ships at Port of Aarhus, the largest container terminal in Denmark.   Container ships use a network of cables to secure their position while in port. These are too heavy to pull by hand, so dock workers need to use powerful winches to handle them. In keeping with the Port of Aarhus’ goal of carbon neutrality by 2030, an E‑Transit was specially converted into a “cable car” to replace the port’s diesel-powered vehicles.   A bare E-Transit chassis was the ideal blank canvas for such a specialist conversion. The expert Ford Pro-approved converter behind the vehicle fitted two winches, each capable of pulling up to 700 kg. Aluminium was chosen for the bespoke bodywork for its light weight and resistance to corrosion from salty sea air.   In an impressive and curious ballet, dockers u...

With the colours and sights of India in the rearview mirror, Lexie and the Ford Explorer continue their electric journey around the globe with a crossing into mountainous Bhutan. Starting in Bhutan’s financial, industrial and trading capital, Phuntsholing, the road out leads Lexie towards the first destination, Paro. The people of Bhutan rely on one road to travel in to and out of the centre of the country so it is extremely well-maintained, meaning easy work for the Explorer. As they climb the sharp inclines towards Paro the sight of hundreds of Tsa-Tsa decorate the mountain ledges – small cone-shaped offerings representing ancient prayers for the well-being of loved ones, both alive and departed. These are the kinds of sights visitors have only been able to see here since 1974 when the country opened up to tourists for the first time. After a stay over in Paro, it’s a trip to what is reported to be the oldest nunnery in Bhutan, Kila Goenpa nunnery. The road to reach it is a dir...