Chicago preview: all-electric Ford Connect Transit will make an appearance

At the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, Ford unveiled its Transit Connect utility van for the U.S. market. In 2009, the company was back with the urban delivery vehicle, this time decorated for use by a variety of small businesses, and confirmed that a plug-in version would be coming to the U.S. At the 2010 show, which starts next week, the Transit Connect will be back, and this time Ford will be displaying the all-electric version. Finally.

There are not a lot of surprises left to learn out about the Transit Connect BEV. Ford is working with Azure Dynamics on the vehicle (not Smith Electric Vehicles), which will use li-ion batteries from Johnson Controls-Saft to get a range of about 80 miles a charge. The van will be available to commercial fleets sometime later this year, and we'll be in Chicago and will try and get for information from Ford about when the vehicle will be available and how much it might cost.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]