The Ford Transit van is hardly what anyone would consider a true "green vehicle." However, green comes in many shades, and in this case, a slight change in shade will make a big impact in America.
Ford announced that the Transit will be coming to the US market. The vehicle is more fuel efficient than the current Ford Econoline sold here. With it's V8 engine, heavy metal body that appears to have been borrowed from tank designs, and technology that hasn't changed since 1992, the Econoline is a beast...but also a very necessary workhorse for many businesses. Ford sold 168,722 of them in 2007, capturing 79.6% of the full size van market against competition from Chevrolet and Dodge.
Not everyone needs the heavy hauling capacity of the Econoline, and for those who simply need some mobile enclosed space, the Transit should do more than adequately. Even if Ford converts just 1/3 of its sales of Econolines to Transits, it's still potentially selling over 50,000 of the far more efficient of the two vans. While the Transit may not be green next to the Honda Clarity, it's plenty green next to the Econoline. It's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction.
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