Some vehicles log 50,000 miles a year.
Ford Pro is participating in a pilot program that will supply three Sonoma County farms in California with so-called Ford Pro solutions, including F-150 Lightning Pro pickups and E-Transit cargo vans to their business.
Pilot program farms are being outfitted with Ford Pro charging stations to complement the solar power in use since 2014 that has been a part of a search for sustainability by the Sonoma County Winegrowers, a group of more than 1,800 grape farmers. (Read AutoInformed on Ford Buys Electriphi to Provide Ford Pro Commercial Customers with Charging and Energy Management; GM’s Ultium Charge 360 Fleet Customers Can Now Access Preferred Electric Vehicle Charging Providers; GM Debuts New Business Elite Program for Fleet Customers)
The pilot program is launching with Bevill Vineyard Management and Vino Farms in Healdsburg, and Dutton Ranch in Sebastopol, which collectively represent about 4,000 acres in the vineyard-rich Russian River Valley. Wanda Young, Ford Pro global chief marketing officer, anticipates the program will expand in the coming months to include other farming operations in the county.
Winegrowers rely daily on their trucks to haul fertilizer and fuel tanks, water and portable bathrooms. Some vehicles log upward of 50,000 miles a year, traveling between properties from Cloverdale to Petaluma. Operating these vehicles and maintaining them, are among an organization’s largest expenses. At Dutton Ranch, which runs a fleet of ~70 work vehicles, fuel costs average $5,000 per month. The prospect of reducing that monthly expense is critical to operations moving forward. Electric vehicles, coupled with the solar power that many Sonoma County ranches already generate and store, represent another way to help offset rising fuel costs. Large Ford pickup trucks and SUVs of course consume enormous amounts of fossil fuels each day.
The technology connects wirelessly, helping businesses manage fleets with real-time vehicle insights. Information includes maintenance schedules, charge event monitoring, vehicle tracking, state of charge, range, charge history and logs, charging/battery settings and alerts, and departure preconditioning to help maximize range and save battery life for the road to get the job done. The Biden Administration is trying to increase badly needed rural internet services in the Build, Back Better legislation that the Republican Party of Nope is blocking. (Biden’s Build Back Better Act Decreases Budget Deficit!)
“Just as an F-150 Lightning or E-Transit is an essential asset for a small business owner, so too is Ford Pro Intelligence,” Young claims. “We believe that the telematics data will change the way farmers manage their fleets and operations.”
Ford Pro Intelligence services1 are “designed to help small businesses optimize their gas and electric fleets by providing always-on access to vehicle health reports and other data that help reduce operating costs, vehicle downtime and fuel consumption,” Ford claims.
The idea is to demonstrate how electric vehicles and web-based fleet management tools can have a positive impact on the agriculture industry in terms of increasing productivity, improving sustainability and lowering the total cost of fleet ownership anywhere from 10% to 20% footnote2.
In addition to the vehicles, farms can consult with the Ford Pro team for the duration of the program. Pilot farmers will have access to Ford Pro Intelligence1 software, home and depot charging, Ford ProTelematics Essentials3 and Ford Pro E-Telematics4 and energy management all help reduce operating costs and manage more efficiently gas- and electric-powered vehicle fleets.
Ford Farming Footnotes
1 Available on vehicles with embedded modem or equipped with approved plug-in device. May require modem activation. Ford Pro Telematics and Ford Pro Data Services require a purchased subscription. Terms and conditions apply. Telematics service and features, and access to vehicle data, depend on subscription and compatible AT&T network availability. Evolving technology/cellular networks/vehicle capability may limit functionality and prevent operation of connected features.
2 Based on “Case Study: Olathe Ford CV Dealership Fleet Management TCO Model” KPMG, Dec. 10, 2021.
3 Complimentary product. Available on vehicles with embedded modem. Requires modem activation. Terms and conditions apply. Telematics service and features, and access to vehicle data depend on compatible AT&T network availability. Evolving technology/cellular networks/vehicle capability may limit functionality and prevent operation of connected features.
4 Eligible vehicles receive a complimentary three-year trial of E-Telematics services that begins on the new vehicle warranty start date. Requires modem activation. Terms and conditions apply. Telematics service and features, and access to vehicle data, depend on compatible AT&T network availability. Evolving technology/cellular networks/vehicle capability may limit functionality and prevent operation of connected features. After the three-year trial, annual service contract is required for E-Telematics service. Call 833.811.3673 to activate. E-Telematics service.
5 Based on latest available information as of July 8, 2021. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/
Some Ford F-150 Lightning customers will benefit from an increase in range ahead of launch this spring. The all-new, all-electric F-150 Lightning has completed final EPA testing. F-150 Lightning XLT and Lariat trims with the extended range battery take you an EPA-estimated range of 320 miles, while the F-150 Lightning Platinum has an EPA-estimated range of 300 miles. Fleet customers have the option to purchase the extended range battery on Lightning Pro and that has an EPA-estimated range of 320 miles. We are laser focused on continually improving our energy consumption efficiency for Lightning and the team is really happy to deliver these results for our customers. Editor – Linda Zhang is chief program engineer, F-150 Lightning.