Ford has launched a new technology feature on its light-commercial vehicle range designed to save delivery drivers potentially useful time on every stop.
Delivery Assist can automatically turn off the van’s engine, close windows, lock doors or switch on hazard lights, which Ford says will potentially save several seconds per stop and enable more deliveries to be made.
The technology also has fleet management advantages by ensuring vans remain secure while drivers leave the vehicle to make deliveries. it is also designed to reduce the number of tasks that drivers need to remember, enabling them to concentrate on drop-offs and their surroundings.
Once the driver has dropped off their package, Delivery Assist also simplifies the process of driving away. The van can be unlocked using the integral key-free entry system, while pressing the brake pedal restarts the engine and restores the windows to their previous position. Drivers can tailor the window, hazard light and locking automations to suit their particular needs.
The Delivery Assist technology is the latest innovation from a Ford human-centred design team that has previously created driver aids such as the tilting steering wheel.
“Delivery Assist makes the driver’s to-do list shorter, their journeys more comfortable, and can several seconds from each delivery stop to help them deliver more parcels, faster,” aid Hans Schep, general manager of Ford Pro, Europe.
“It’s good for both our customers and their customers – by taking away lots of tiny tasks we are helping to make a big difference,” he added.
The technology is initially available on 2025 E-Transit 2,3 and EcoBlue diesel-powered Transit 2,4 models with automatic transmission. It will also be available on the all-new E-Transit Custom 2,5 and automatic transmission-equipped Transit Custom 2,6 vans, with the first customer deliveries expected from summer 2025.
