(CNN Business)Ford is bringing an all-electric version of its best-selling cargo van to North America. The electric version of the Transit, which is currently available in gasoline- and diesel-powered versions, will be available in the United States and Canada in 2021.
An all-electric version of the van had previously been announced for the European market and is expected to go on sale there next year. The electric vans for the North American market will be built in the US, Ford said, but the company has not yet announced where. Gas and diesel Transit vans are currently built in Kansas City, Missouri.
Ford (F) has also previously announced that it will make an all-electric version of its F-150 pickup, which has long been the best-selling pickup in America. Ford executives have said that electrifying its line of commercial vehicles and trucks, an area of strength for the company, would be a priority.
Ford showed a concept version of the electric Transit van at an event in Amsterdam last April.
The electric Transit van will be made available in a variety of body styles, including three different lengths and three different roof heights. Ford will also offer chassis cab configurations in which there's just a bare chassis behind the van's passenger cabin. Chassis cab models are often used as the basis for creating specialized vehicles like shuttle buses and campers.
The company has seen a 33% increase in growth in fleet sales of trucks and vans since 2015, Ford said in its announcement. The company expects that to continue, thanks to the popularity of online shopping, which often requires vans to make deliveries.
The vans will be able to recharge using the charging network Ford announced last October.
Ford said it expects electric vehicles to make up 8% of all sales in the United States by 2025.
While Ford doesn't have any fully electric vehicles on the market, it now has several on the way. The Ford Mustang Mach-E electric performance SUV was unveiled last November. In January, Ford announced that electric truck company Rivian, in which Ford is a major investor, would produce an electric luxury SUV for Ford's Lincoln luxury brand.
Ford's investment in Rivian and the other electric vehicles are part of the company's plan to spend $11.5 billion on vehicle electrification by 2022.
