The Ford Tourneo Connect is a leisure activity vehicle

Leisure activity vehicle

A leisure activity vehicle is a small van, generally related to a supermini or subcompact car, with two or three seat rows, and a large, tall car boot and tailgate. An early example of the category was the Matra Rancho introduced in 1977...

 produced by Ford, which was first put into production in 2002 to the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 market. The Transit Connect

Ford Transit Connect

The Ford Transit Connect is a compact panel van developed by Ford Europe and designed by Peter Horbury, introduced in 2002 to replace the older Ford Escort and Fiesta-based Courier van ranges, which had ceased production in the same year....

 is a panel van

Panel van

A panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...

 version of the Tourneo Connect. Principally termed a commercial vehicle, Ford predicted relatively low sales of between 800-1000 mainly to taxi

Taxicab

A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...

 operators, due to its given status as a commercial vehicle. However, Ford describe the Connect as a 'dual use' vehicle, equally able to meet business and leisure needs. It was put into production to rival the similar models of the Citroën Berlingo

Citroën Berlingo

The Citroën Berlingo is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since 1996. It was based on the Citroën ZX/Peugeot 306 estate floorpan and mechanicals...

, Peugeot Partner

Peugeot Partner

The Peugeot Partner is a van and leisure activity vehicle made by the French car manufacturer Peugeot. The van is named Partner and the leisure activity vehicle Partner Combi. In Italy it is known as the Peugeot Ranch....

, Volkswagen Caddy Tour

Volkswagen Caddy

Released in 1980, the first Volkswagen Caddy is a coupe utility, and van based on the Volkswagen Group A1 platform, shared with the small family car Volkswagen Golf Mk1.Volkswagen Typ is:*147 = LHD*148 = RHD-Caddy debuts internationally as a Rabbit:...

, Fiat Doblò

Fiat Doblò

The Fiat Doblò is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle produced by Italian automaker Fiat since 2000, it was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 2000.-First generation :...

 and the Opel/Vauxhall Combo Tour

Opel Combo

The second generation was launched in 2001. While most competitors severed their connections with their subcompact brethren, Opel decided to base the vehicle on the Corsa again. The use of subcompact Gamma platform constrained the overall width of the vehicle. While the general body shape was...

Features

The Connect, when first sold, was the only vehicle of its kind to offer split-folding and independently removable 60/40 split rear seats. This allowed multiple seating formations and increased load-bearing potential. It also boasted the option of twin side load doors (otherwise known as sliding-doors) as well as rear doors or a tailgate, whereas neither of its main competitors have this option. The Connect's design emphasizes Ford's ideal that the vehicle be dual purpose.

Electric vehicles

Ford presented the Ford Tourneo Connect battery electric

Battery electric vehicle

A battery electric vehicle, or BEV, is a type of electric vehicle that uses chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs. BEVs use electric motors and motor controllers instead of, or in addition to, internal combustion engines for propulsion.A battery-only electric vehicle or...

 concept vehicle at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. It features a 21 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery

Lithium iron phosphate battery

The lithium iron phosphate battery, also called LFP battery, is a type of rechargeable battery, specifically a lithium-ion battery, which uses LiFePO4 as a cathode material.-History:...

 pack, a 50 kW permanent magnet motor

Brushed DC electric motor

A brushed DC motor is an internally commutated electric motor designed to be run from a direct current power source.-Simple two-pole DC motor:The following graphics illustrate a simple, two-pole, brushed, DC motor.DC Motor Rotation...

, and a single-speed transmission, for a range of up to 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) and top speed of about 70 miles per hour (31.3 m/s).

Its BEV technology was developed in collaboration with Smith Electric Vehicles

Smith Electric Vehicles

Smith Electric Vehicles is the world's leading manufacturers of electric commercial vehicles; battery-powered vans, and trucks Smith Electric Vehicles has always focused on the commercial vehicle market – it does not produce electric cars and has never done so.In 2011 after its United States...

.