Ford is acquiring Electriphi, a California-based provider of charging management and fleet monitoring software for electric vehicles.
Electriphi’s team and services will be integrated into Ford Pro – a new global business within Ford “committed to commercial customer productivity and to developing the most advanced charging and energy management experiences,” the company says.
Ford Pro estimates that the depot charging industry will grow to over 600,000 full-size trucks and vans by 2030. The company says this acquisition supports its target to capture over $1 billion of revenue from charging by 2030.
The Electriphi acquisition comes as Ford prepares for the launch of all-electric versions of two of its high-volume commercial vehicles – the Transit van and F-150 pickup. Ford will start shipping E-Transit to customers later this year; F-150 Lightning Pro will be available in spring 2022.
Ford says Electriphi’s team of more than 30 employees has developed and deployed a purpose-built electric vehicle fleet and charging management platform that simplifies fleet electrification, saves energy costs, and tracks key operational metrics like real-time status of vehicles, chargers and maintenance services.
Customers in North America can sign up for Electriphi charge management services now at electriphi.ai. Ford Pro plans on making these services available in Europe at a later date.
The company says Ford Pro will deliver:
- Ford Pro vehicles – Ford’s lineup of combustion-engine and hybrid commercial vehicles and, soon, all-electric versions of the company’s vans and full-size pickup trucks developed for commercial use
- Ford Pro charging – Hardware and software solutions for public, depot and overnight home charging of electric vehicles
- Ford Pro intelligence – Digital services, with distinct features integrated in vehicles that enable customers to better manage and maintain their fleets
- Ford Pro Services Elite – Expanding Ford’s network of commercial vehicle centers by adding 120 large-bay service hubs across the U.S. with extended hours, plus introducing 1,200 mobile service vehicles by 2025
- Ford Pro FinSimple – Bundled financing for vehicles, services and electric vehicle charging
The company says it anticipates its growing capabilities and appeal to generate $45 billion in revenue from hardware and adjacent and new services by 2025 – up from $27 billion in 2019. In North America, Ford says its share of Class 1 through Class 7 full-size trucks and vans exceeds 40%. In Europe, Ford has been the leading commercial vehicle brand for six consecutive years.
