First all-electric Ford F-59 for SEA Electric

SEA Electric is producing its first 100% electric Ford F-59 van at Ford’s Detroit Chassis Plant in Michigan.

“This is an exciting step forward for SEA Electric’s global footprint and a positive result for our USA operations who are currently working towards fulfilling several orders in the pipeline,” SEA Electric chief executive officer Tony Fairweather says.

The F-59 EV is being built on a Morgan Olson Walk-in Van body and will be deployed shortly for delivery routes in the greater Detroit area with a leading package delivery company.

The van will be powered by a SEA Drive 120b power-system with 150kW of continuous power and 250kW maximum power, plus 2500Nm maximum torque.

It has up to 350km range, and with zero emissions, fewer moving parts and lower running costs, the electric van is said to be perfect for short stop-start delivery runs.

Batteries recharge in four to six hours using a 19.2kW single phase 240V on board charger.

“We’re confident the fleet customer will love the overall performance of this SEA-Drive powered delivery van,” SEA Electric North America regional director David Brosky says.

“We anticipate a very successful trial which will lead to substantial follow-on orders from fleet customers within the next 6-12 months.”

Morgan Olson business development director John Knudtson says: “We see a growing interest, within our portfolio of walk-in step van customers, to include electrified work trucks within their fleets.

“In the past, we’ve built numerous step van bodies on various alternative powertrains and are pleased with how our body has adapted to the new Sea Electric platform.“

Morgan Olson produces more than 10,000 step vans annually from multiple manufacturing locations throughout the United States. Its customers cover a multitude of industries and delivery work truck applications including parcel package delivery, baking and snack foods, laundry and textile rental, service and utility vehicles, and food truck entrepreneurs.

Australian-based SEA Electric, also operating in New Zealand, is an automotive technology company that develops and assembles 100% electric-powered vans, commuter busses, and light/medium duty rigid truck models using its proprietary SEA-Drive power-systems. Additionally, the company also works closely with a selection of leading American truck companies and brands including Ford, Isuzu, and Chevrolet to engineer and locally assemble SEA Electric power-systems to their models.

SEA Electric’s head office operates from a Melbourne site with plans underway for a large-scale assembly facility in the Latrobe Valley in regional Victoria.

Visit www.sea-electric.com

for more information.