Ford E-150

The Ford E-Series, formerly known as the Econoline or Club Wagon, is a line of full-size vans (both cargo and passenger) and truck chassis from the Ford Motor Company. The E-Series is related to the Ford F-Series line of pickup trucks. The line was introduced in 1961 as a compact van and its descendants are still produced today. The Econoline is manufactured solely at Ford's Ohio Assembly plant in Avon Lake, Ohio—after the closure of the Lorain, Ohio plant in December 2005 and the consolidation of all production at Avon Lake.

As of 2009, the E-Series and the 2010 model year Ford Transit Connect compact MPV, which had its debut at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show on February 11, 2009 are the only vans in the Ford lineup in North America.



The Ford E-Series currently holds 79.6% of the full-size van market in the United States with 168,722 sales in the United States in 2007. It has been the best selling American full-sized van for 30 years (since 1980).

With this body style, Ford dominated the market for 15 passenger vans once created by Dodge. It was favored by churches, but the high heavy-duty body became notorious for rollover incidents due to the high center of gravity and the weight of 15 adults. For this reason it is recommended that only trained drivers drive these vehicles and that nothing be carried on the roof of such vehicles. In recent years, some insurance carriers have required that the four-passenger seat in the last row be removed, reducing passenger capacity to 11. (For further information on this topic, see Rollover Safety.)



The only visible exterior change for 1995 was the deletion of the amber turn signals in the tail lights, used from 1992–1994. Models from Canada are ultimately renamed as E-Series, however the Econoline name continued until 2000 for the United States.

For 2001, Ford again refreshed the Econoline, with a new E-150 Traveler model targeted at families.



The Traveler would be a short-lived model, however, as minivans and SUVs were by this point far more popular for passenger use. But, as full-size vans have the towing and payload and optional diesel power of full-sized pickups and room for 8 to 15 passengers plus their baggage, a certain segment of customers continued to buy the E-Series (and, to a lesser extent, its competitors from GM and Chrysler).



For the first time on all models, the "E-Series" name replaced Econoline, and was sold as such in the literature on commercial vans and ambulance packages, another category dominated by Ford. Heavy-duty cutaway van models, most often used in large box vans and Class C recreational vehicles, also featured "E-350" or "E-450" badging on the front fenders.

In 2009 the E-Series received a new dashboard, complete with an available in-dash navigation system and upfitter switches as used in the F-Series Super Duty trucks. Also included is a passenger-side glove compartment, a first for the E-Series. Previously, the glove compartment was integrated in the engine cover.



Another new 2009 option was the rear-view backup camera, which is becoming widely available throughout the industry on smaller vehicles; it is another first for Ford in the full-size van field.



And finally, Ford is the first automotive manufacturer to offer a full-size van that is capable of using E-85; this option is most commonly available on Ford's F-150 with the 5.4 L engine. It was available on the 2009 4.6 L and 5.4 L engines.

The Ford E-150 comes with a standard 225-hp 4.6-liter Triton V8 with an optional 255-hp 5.4-liter Triton V8. Both engines are mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Standard features include four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, underbody full-size spare, air conditioning, tilt steering wheel and variable intermittent wipers. The cargo van is available in regular or extended length version. The regular length van offers both a commercial and a recreational trim while the extended version offers the commercial trim only. The recreational trim is nicely primed for modifications to suit the buyer's needs. The E-150 passenger wagon comes in the rugged XL trim or the well equipped XLT trim which can carry up to eight passengers. Available equipment on the E-150 includes satellite radio, SYNC, a heavy-duty trailer towing package, an integrated trailer brake controller, navigation system and a selection of Ford Work Solution options.