LEADING THE CHARGE
Ford reveals its ELECTRIC Transit van of the future – and why it’ll change your mind about EVs
FORD has revealed its fully electric E-Transit Custom as part of plans to have five electric vans by 2024.
The vans are part of a wider promise to do away with engines on all its European models by 2035.
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Ford has already shown off its larger electric E-Transit van, and we've already driven it.
The Custom features many of the same impressive features, but betters the larger, heavier E-Transit's range by 40 miles. Here, a 236-mile drive is possible.
Ford has launched what it's calling Ford Pro at the same time.
It's the name of a new dedicated service for Transit customers covering sales, conversions, financing, servicing, smart charging and software.
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You can also have a Ford Pro wallbox at home or work which will do the normal thing of charging — but it will also work out how much juice is going into the work van, so you get reimbursed accordingly.
Like the larger E-Transit the Custom will come with fast DC charging with a charge to 80% taking around half an hour.
It also gets the same 2.3kW sockets in the cab and cargo area to power work tools and lighting.
Ford reckons an hour with a table saw, for instance, will only eat about three miles of range.
And if you do get carried away, the E-Transit Custom can flash its lights and honk its horn if you're about to use more juice than is need to get you home to the charger.
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Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro Europe said: “This is a watershed moment for commercial vehicle operators in Europe, and another hugely significant realisation of our Ford Pro ambitions.
“Europe’s best-selling van just went all-electric and – supported by our unique Ford Pro one-stop-shop of productivity-boosting services – the operating benefits this will bring to business across Europe cannot be overstated.”
Ford will reveal how much the E-Transit Custom costs in September but we can have a decent guess right now.
The E-Transit starts at around £45,000, which is a fair whack more than a diesel Transit, but competitively prices as electric vans go.
It's safe to assume this smaller Custom van will start at around £40,000 and likewise look cheaper than most alternatives.
Production of the E-Transit Custom starts in the second half of 2023.
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