Zac Quinn 
Ford Pro (a standalone unit of Ford Motor Company that was created to focus exclusively on commercial and government customers) and the Sonoma County Winegrowers (a group of more than 1,800 grape farmers in Northern California) are launching a pilot program that will add Ford F-150 Lightning Pro pickups, E-Transit Cargo vans, and Ford Pro Intelligence products and services to three pilot farms in the county. The mission’s goal is to demonstrate how electric vehicles and web-based fleet management tools can positively impact the agriculture industry.
Ford F-150 Lightning: Making Farming Greener
Farm vehicles are some of the hardest working vehicles globally, with some logging upward of 50,000 miles a year as they travel between properties. Sonoma County winegrowers own about 60,000 acres explicitly dedicated to growing wine grapes, with another 120,000 acres used for other diversified agriculture. With a fleet of 70 work vehicles, fuel costs can average about $5,000 per month. So the prospect of reducing monthly expenses with electric vehicles, coupled with solar power, is an exciting one.
Farms can consult with the Ford Pro team for the duration of the program. Additionally, Pilot farmers will have access to Ford Pro Intelligence software, home and depot charging, Ford Pro Telematics Essentials, and Ford Pro E-Telematics, as well as energy management. These services will help reduce operating costs and manage gas and electric-powered vehicle fleets more efficiently. Ford Pro Intelligence gives farmers access to essential data on every vehicle, whether gas-powered or electric. In addition, the web-based service offers always-on access to vehicle health reports and other data designed to help limit vehicle downtime while lowering operating costs.
The technology connects wirelessly, helping businesses manage fleets with real-time vehicle insights. Information includes maintenance schedules, charge event monitoring, vehicle tracking, range, charge history and logs, state of charge, charging/battery settings and alerts, and departure preconditioning to help maximize range and save battery life to help get the job done.
