OAK PARK, MI - Azure Dynamics Corp., an electric powertrain developer for the commercial truck market, and Ford Motor Co. of Canada announced they will deliver one of the first Transit Connect Electric commercial vans to Canada Post under the LEAD customer program.

Canada Post will receive one of the exclusive Ford Transit Connect Electric delivery vehicles by the end of this year and has committed to the purchase of nine more by end of 2011.

"Canada Post is the first Canadian company to sign on to this exclusive and innovative vehicle program aimed at providing environmental solutions to the commercial delivery market," said Scott Harrison, Azure Dynamics CEO. "The transformative technology of the Transit Connect Electric reduces gasoline fuel costs to zero, produces no tailpipe emissions and is virtually silent as it travels through urban and suburban delivery routes. The progressive attitude of companies like Canada Post will contribute to making an important environmental impact."

The new van's electric drive performance attributes are well suited to fleets like Canada Post that have duty cycles characterized by predictable routes with frequent stop-and-go driving and high idle time.

"As one of the largest communications and logistics companies in Canada, we're proud to be among the first to implement a fully electric delivery vehicle on our roads," said Doug Jones, senior vice president of operations at Canada Post. "We expect that this new vehicle will bring us one step further along our path to reduce both our overall fuel emissions and our carbon footprint on the environment."

The Transit Connect Electric integrates Azure's Force Drive electric powertrain into Ford's dedicated global commercial van platform that received the 2010 North American Truck of the Year award.

"At Ford, we are dedicated to delivering quality, safe and fuel-efficient vehicles to Canadian businesses -- and the Ford Transit Connect delivers on all fronts," said David Mondragon, president and CEO of Ford of Canada.

The Ford Transit Connect Electric uses an advanced lithium-ion battery from Johnson Controls-Saft to achieve a range of up to 130 km (80 miles) on a single charge and is rechargeable using either a 240-volt or standard 120-volt outlet. Commercial vans generally return to a central location at the end of each driving cycle, making for easy overnight recharging.

For more information, visit www.azuredynamics.com.