America's Businesses Turn to Ford Vans as Economy Grows; Ford Vans Are Top Sellers in 47 States

• More than half of commercial van customers in the United States in the first six months of 2015 bought a Ford van – Transit, Transit Connect or E-Series
• Ford is the fastest-growing brand in the commercial van market, driving 80 percent of the segment’s growth in the first half of 2015, according to Ford analysis of new vehicle registrations from IHS Automotive
• Top-selling commercial van in 47 states is a Ford van

DEARBORN, Mich., Sept. 9, 2015 – Growing businesses are increasingly turning to Ford commercial vans, making Ford the largest and fastest-growing manufacturer of commercial vans in the United States in the first half of 2015, according to Ford analysis of IHS new vehicle registrations through June.

Ford vans have been America’s best-selling commercial vans for 36 years, helping businesses transport equipment to job sites, shuttle passengers to their destinations and more. The new Transit, which went on sale just last summer, can be converted to serve as emergency response vehicles, food trucks and mobile dog grooming studios.

Businesses can choose from 58 vehicle configurations with the introduction of a dual sliding door option on the 2016 Transit van, meaning the vehicle with the most configurations in its class just got even more flexible.

“Transit customers appreciate the van’s flexibility because it can enable them to right-size their vehicle to the needs of their vocation.” says Yaro Hetman, Ford brand manager for Transit, Transit Connect and E-Series. “There are 12 ship-through upfitters located within 30 miles of Kansas City Assembly Plant, making it easy and fast for customers to design their Transit vans to serve their business requirements.”

Transit sales success has led Ford to capture 56 percent of the U.S. commercial van market as of June 2015 – up from 48 percent in June 2014, according to IHS new commercial vehicle registration data.
Commercial van sales are increasing as the U.S. economy is growing, and Ford vans drove 80 percent of growth in the segment in the first half of the year, according to Ford analysis of IHS data.
Ford commercial van sales increased 28 percent January through June, while the segment overall grew 11 percent.

Ford vans are top sellers in 47 states, according to Ford analysis of IHS data. Those 47 states represent 99.09% of the U.S. population.

Ford Transit became the best-selling full-size van in America just six months after it went on sale, replacing America’s best-selling van for 35 years, E-Series, first sold in 1961 as Ford Econoline. For the 2015 model year, Ford produced more than 100,000 Transit vans, wagons, cutaways and chassis cabs at Kansas City Assembly Plant.

Ford Transit Connect, America’s small commercial van pioneer, has been on sale since 2009 and has reigned as the country’s best-seller in the segment for the last five years. Transit Connect leads the small commercial van segment with 69 percent share and is on pace to have another record year, with commercial sales up 43 percent in the first half of 2015.