Ford supports Caritas in the Rhine district: E-Transit for social services!

Ford supports Caritas in the Rhine district: E-Transit for social services!

A new e-transit from Ford Motor Company will soon enrich the paths of Caritas in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss. Ford has provided Caritas with a state-of-the-art electric vehicle that not only offers a range of 316 kilometers, but is also ideal for transporting meals and other social services. Hermann Josef Thiel, the board member of Caritas, was extremely grateful when the vehicle was handed over at the Ford factory in Cologne. “This vehicle will cover numerous kilometers and make a valuable contribution,” says Thiel. The vehicle is provided including insurance and is a sign of the strong partnership between business and social work.

The E-Transit has an impressive output of 173 hp, only requires eight hours to fully charge at 11 kW charging power and has a cargo space volume of up to 15 cubic meters. With a permissible total weight of 4250 kg, it is ideally equipped for the diverse challenges in the social sector. These initiatives underline Caritas' efforts to convert its entire vehicle fleet to electric drive and to stop purchasing new combustion vehicles.

Digital support and sustainable mobility

Together with E-Transit, Caritas is also committed to sustainable mobility by founding Caritas Service GmbH (cdg) in 2018. This specializes in e-mobility and offers support for social organizations in switching to electric vehicles and creating the necessary charging infrastructure. One goal of this initiative is to reduce CO2 emissions while serving society, which represents a clear step towards sustainability. The cdg also relieves the social responsibility of fleet management so that they can concentrate on their core tasks.

A trend that is becoming increasingly important to the public is social justice in electromobility. A current study by the Ecological-Social Market Economy Forum used various instruments to promote e-cars, which also includes socially just approaches. The aim is to financially support the switch to electric vehicles through targeted incentives, especially for people with low incomes. “The mobility transition must be accessible to everyone,” explains Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa from Caritas.

Together into the future

The handover of 40 E-Transits to various Caritas associations in Germany illustrates the expansion and promotion of innovative electromobility in the social sector. Claudia Vogt and Judith Kleinemeyer from Ford emphasize the need to support social work while promoting innovative technologies. Dr. Friedrich von Schönfeld, board member of the German Caritas Association, sees the handover as a successful example of cooperation between business and civil society.

With this new electric vehicle, Caritas in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss, which has around 1,100 employees and 80 facilities, shows that electromobility and social responsibility can go hand in hand. It remains exciting to see how these developments in mobility continue to unfold and what positive effects they will have on society.