Ford Pro Launches Comprehensive Fleet EV Charging Solution

Ford Pro, the fleet management business of Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, announced the launch of Ford Pro Charging, a comprehensive solution for commercial electric vehicle charging that includes software and commercial hardware infrastructure to support charging and energy management.
843
The Ford Pro business of Ford Motor Co. announced the launch of its comprehensive solution for commercial EV charging, Ford Pro Charging. // Courtesy of Ford Motor Co.
The Ford Pro business of Ford Motor Co. announced the launch of its comprehensive solution for commercial EV charging, Ford Pro Charging. // Courtesy of Ford Motor Co.

Ford Pro, the fleet management business of Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, announced the launch of Ford Pro Charging, a comprehensive solution for commercial electric vehicle charging that includes software and commercial hardware infrastructure to support charging and energy management.

This solution comes as the automotive industry — and commercial fleets as a result — are shifting to electric vehicles. The transition for businesses can be complex, which Ford Pro Charging aims to ease.

“Customers are saying, ‘We want the E-Transit and F-150 Lightning Pro, but how are we going to charge and operate them efficiently once they’re in our fleet?’” says Ted Cannis, CEO of Ford Pro.

“They are depending on us to provide the electric vehicles and the integrated solutions designed for EVs that they need for charging and connectivity. Ford Pro Charging is an industry first solution that is focused on helping our customers plan for, operate, and deploy charging solutions so they can reduce operating costs and improve efficiency.”

Ford Pro Charging’s software analyzes how each fleet operates and can precisely orchestrate charging management based on those behaviors. It also provides customers with information such as optimal charging times based on energy rates.

“Our current fleet of connected vehicles allow us to learn from existing fleet behaviors so we can build the right infrastructure and the right charge management software,” says Muffi Ghadiali, head of Ford Pro Charging. “Let’s say the customer fleet returns around 10 p.m. planning to go back out starting at 5 a.m.

“You have a limited window for charging and have to make charging decisions in a highly dynamic environment. Does every vehicle need to be fully charged? Can we balance charge power against the available charging window to take advantage of low overnight energy rates? Ford Pro Charging accounts for a multitude of variables and controls each charge station precisely to optimize energy costs and ensure vehicle uptime.”

While on-site depot charging solutions are available, Ford Pro also currently has more than 70,000 public charging ports with more than 3,200 DC fast-charging stations equating to more than 7,300 plugs on the Blue Oval Charging Network.

For fleet drivers needing to charge overnight at home, Ford Pro offers a complete solution from home charger installation to software capabilities for tracking, reporting and simplifying driver reimbursement.

Taking an open-standards approach, Ford Pro Charging is designed to interoperate with electric vehicles from a multitude of OEMs and vehicle classes – from forklifts to heavy-duty trucks. In conjunction with Ford Pro E-Telematics, exclusive features such as battery pre-conditioning can maximize range and battery performance.