Ford e-Transit Custom Review

​Rather than focus on fleets, therefore, Ford Pro – the van side of the business – is targeting sole traders, SMEs and micro-fleets with the launch of the plug-in all-electric Transit (a PHEV model is also available) as it believes small businesses are core to the wholesale adoption of electric vehicles as a whole, not to mention the global infrastructure that exists to support them.

In addition to the van itself, the company is hoping to entice small business users with an incentivised connected Ford Pro Home Charger, which it will install, maintain and guarantee with a five-year warranty, with a dedicated support hub at dealers for small business users. 

To help reduce energy charges, Ford Pro’s charging software enables users to schedule charging to maximise the use of off-peak energy tariffs, aimed at users who charge their vans using a domestic supply – be that for their own use or to simplify billing back to their employer. 

If this isn’t an incentive enough, the e-Transit Custom also has a lot more in its armoury -namely its great looks, neat cabin, terrific dynamics and practical design. The e-Transit Custom has been a long time in gestation – some would say too long – but all of the pointers suggest it has been worth the wait. 

Like the standard Custom, it looks great – the only real hints that this is an electric van being a blanked-off grille, discreet charging port in the bumper and e-Transit badging to the rear. Yet beneath the skin, it’s very different to a piston-powered Transit Custom, rear-drive instead of front, with an underslung battery pack and rear-mounted electric motor. 

There’s a choice of three power outputs – 135 or 217PS in the two volume trims and 285PS in the Ford e-Transit MS-RT, which is the rally-inspired performance option. 

All versions come with a 64kWh battery pack, offering a maximum of 209 miles range on the WLTP cycle.

Total payload is 239kg less than diesel models at 1088kg and there is a choice of body options - panel van, double-cab with six passenger seats, a Kombi with up to eight seats or a Multicab with a two-seat second row and staggered bulkhead, allowing longer loads on one side.

There are also two wheelbases: standard L1 or extended L2, with one roof height – H1, which at under two metres in height will fit in a standard construction domestic garage. 

Range, Battery and Charging

The 64kWh battery is the same regardless of power output, and delivers a maximum range of 209 miles. Rumours abound of a bigger battery pack that will be shared with the jumbo-sized e-Transit to offer a greater range, but there has been no official word on this yet. 

Charging times are generally in-line with rivals– using a 7.4kW wallbox charger you’ll get a 100% charge to start the working day in just under eight hours, optimised via the Ford Pro Home Charger, while 125kW rapid charging will get you from 10-80% charge in about 40 minutes.

Practicality, Payload and Dimensions

Since 1965, the Ford Transit has been designed with a job in mind and the latest e-Transit Custom comfortably fulfils the brief. It doesn’t have the largest in-class cargo capacity or payload, but it’s class-competitive and practically laid-out. 

In L1 form, it offers 5.8 cubic metres of cargo space, with an extra cubic metre in longer wheelbase L2 layout. There’s a 1400mm load aperture for the back door and 1932mm of space between the arches, with plenty of lashing points to ensure two Euro pallets can be snugly and securely installed. There’s also a passenger side side-loading door, which in all but Trend trim level has with hands-free functionality – just wave your foot beneath it and it opens up. 

It has a payload of 1088kg – or 1054kg in Sport trim, which has to account for extra appendages thanks to its body kit. That’s 296kg less than the diesel Transit Custom, but still pretty good for an electric van. 

Also impressive is its towing capacity – electric vans are still a way off matching the towing abilities of heavier duty vehicles, but a 2300kg towing weight is right at the top of its class.

Interior, Seating and Technology

The Transit Custom has always been impressive in terms of comfort and layout and the e-Transit Custom does not disappoint. It’s ergonomically excellent and very spacious, with lots of hidden storage and cubby areas and functional controls. Our only real gripe is the need to operate the climate control functions via the touch screen, which is unnecessarily fiddly on the move. 

All of the other features are simple and functional, while the recessed dash and flat floor give a walk-through layout with a flat floor, saving drivers from having to alight into traffic.

Another clever feature is the optional tilting steering wheel, which comes with a clip-on table so it can be used as a laptop or table surface when stationary. Until you try it, you don’t realise how useful it is… even if it is just for having your lunch. 

Motors, Performance and Handling

While it’s rarely a prerequisite for van drivers, the Ford e-Transit Custom is a brilliant vehicle to drive – the extra weight of the batteries, even weight distribution and rear-wheel-drive make it a lot of fun to hustle along, especially if you go for the more powerful motor. 

The chassis is as well-balanced as any Ford passenger car, and that’s something the Blue Oval has excelled at for over 30 years now. The ride quality is impressive, too, so you won’t be disappointed at all by the driving experience. 

Even in its lowest power output, the Ford e-Transit Custom feels nippy, selectable drive modes meaning you can get an extra power boost if you need it or preserve battery life when not required.

Both motors provide the same 415Nm of instant torque and the regenerative braking is less intrusive than in some rivals.

Visibility is good, helped by a camera-fed rear-view mirror that is functional in traffic but of no real benefit when parking, as it makes objects appear unnecessarily close.

Running costs, Pricing and Specs

The e-Transit Custom comes in three trim levels – Trend, Limited and Sport. There’s no ‘Transit’ base model, arguably a reflection of Ford’s focus on smaller businesses. 

The Trend gets a 13-inch touchscreen with Ford’s SYNC 4 software, a rear-view camera, air-conditioning and an e-power take off for power tools or scene lighting. 

The Limited adds 16-inch alloys and electric heated seats along with surround view cameras and the Sport gets beefier alloys, a body kit and – if you want them – go-faster stripes. 

Safety kit is impressive: all trim levels get pre-collision alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, road sign recognition, wrong way alert, a reversing camera and parking sensors, plus a speed limit warning that you can override with a steering wheel button.

Verdict

We had to wait a long time for the e-Transit Custom but it was worth the wait – it’s a great van to drive, and easy one to live with and we’re big fans of Ford’s approach to user-friendliness, especially in terms of home charging. 

It’s one of the best electric vans you can buy, and a real benchmark in the sector.