Convenient new technology from Ford could save drivers vital seconds before and after every drop while keeping their vans secure.
Delivery Assist automatically turns off the engine, closes windows, locks doors and activates hazard lights when delivery van drivers make stops.
By streamlining operations, it could save many seconds per stop, enabling more deliveries.
The technology also boosts peace of mind for drivers and fleet managers by ensuring vans remain secure while drivers leave the vehicle to make deliveries. It also reduces the number of tasks that drivers need to remember, enabling them to concentrate on drop-offs and their surroundings.
Once a 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, and 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 needs.
Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe, said: “Delivery Assist makes the driver’s to-do list shorter, their journeys more comfortable, and can cut many seconds from each delivery stop to help them deliver more parcels, faster. 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.”
It’s the brainchild of Ford’s human-centred design team, which also came up with innovations such as the tilting steering wheel.
The technology is available on 2025 E Transit and EcoBlue diesel-powered Transit models with automatic transmission. It will also launch on the all-new E-Transit Custom and automatic transmission-equipped Transit Custom vans, with the first customer deliveries expected from summer 2025.
