Ford Pro, the division of Ford that caters to commercial fleet customers, has introduced Ford Pro Intelligence, a cloud-based platform to support EV fleet operations.

Ford Pro Intelligence combines Ford Pro’s suite of services, including telematics, with Salesforce’s cloud-based CRM system. It’s designed to help fleet operators keep track of vehicles, manage drivers and share data with customers. It “brings together everything [fleet operators] need in one comprehensive cloud-based suite of services as well as consultation on complex topics like charging solutions, including depot site design, to help optimize energy costs and uptime.”

“Ford Pro is going to revolutionize the way our commercial customers work. We are integrating an intelligent management system—more data, more uptime, more productivity, smart charging and much less hassle,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley. “Ford Pro is leading Ford’s transformation to an always-on relationship with our customers and it is one of our biggest bets to lead the connected, electric mobility future.”

“The biggest pain point we hear from commercial customers when it comes to managing their fleets is not having a single place to access all of their information across vehicles and services,” says Ted Cannis, Ford Pro CEO. “We’ve created a platform that centralizes and powers our entire digital ecosystem, working across gas and electric powertrains, Ford and non-Ford vehicles.”

Ford has launched a pilot program with the Sonoma County Winegrowers, a group of more than 1,800 grape farmers in Northern California—three farms in Sonoma County will test Ford F-150 Lightning Pro pickups, E-Transit cargo vans, and Ford Pro Intelligence products and services.

The goal is to demonstrate how EVs and web-based fleet management tools can help the agriculture industry increase productivity, improve sustainability and lower the total cost of fleet ownership. Pilot farmers will have access to Ford Pro Intelligence software, home and depot charging, Ford Pro Telematics Essentials and Ford Pro E-Telematics and energy management.

“This collaboration with the Ford Pro team is a great natural next step to help us continue our progress in sustainable agriculture,” said Sonoma County Winegrowers President Karissa Kruse. “A lot of farming families have a rich history with Ford, so as many of our farmers look for ways to lead in innovation and be a part of the solution, that trust is critical when it comes to investing in electric vehicles and in solutions to manage farming fleets.”

Meanwhile, Ford reports strong demand for the upcoming 2022 E-Transit electric delivery van—some 300 customers, including the City of Orlando and Walmart, have ordered over 10,000 vans.

“For commercial customers, one size does not fit all needs,” says Andrew Walker, Ford Pro Commercial Van Brand Manager. “That’s why we designed the original gas Transit with a best-in-class range of configurations backed by a network of nearly 300 upfitters to further customize it for specific applications. E-Transit adds another eight configurations to that lineup.”

Source: Ford