It’s hard enough trying to sell EVs to Australians, let alone electric vans to hard-nosed business operators.
But that’s the road Ford Australia is headed down with its range of E-Transit electric and plug-in hybrid commercial delivery vans.
Due to arrive here in the third quarter of the year, the Custom and Transit Custom PHEV are designed to offer small business and fleet operators choices to suit their needs without compromise.
Four variants will be available, with the choice of plug-in hybrid or battery electric powertrains in either Long Wheelbase Trend or Short Wheelbase Sport.
The Transit Custom PHEV Trend LWB and Transit Custom PHEV Sport SWB has a recommended price of $67,590 and $69,990 respectively.
While the all-electric 64kWh E-Transit Custom carries a recommended price of $77,590 for the Trend LWB and $79,990 for the Sport SWB variant.
The availability of the Transit Custom PHEV and E-Transit Custom underscores Ford Australia’s commitment to providing customers with the ultimate choice in low- and zero-emission vehicles without compromising on performance, equipment levels, safety features, or load-carrying capacity.
Ford’s John Hatzimanolis said: “While the comprehensive equipment list and low- or zero-emission powertrains will appeal, it’s the ability to go the distance with lower operating costs, without sacrificing cargo space, that Transit Custom owners have been asking for.”
Designed to maximise storage space with efficient underfloor packaging to house the batteries, all plug-in Transit Custom and E-Transit Custom variants carry the same load space of their turbo-diesel Transit Custom LWB and SWB counterparts, measuring in at 6.0 and 5.2 cu m respectively.
Maximum payload capacity, based on kerb weight, ranges between 1111 to 1206kg depending on variant, and braked towing capacity is 2300kg, which is class-leading for an electrified van.
The zero-emission E-Transit Custom is powered by a rear-mounted electric motor that delivers 160kW of power and 415Nm of torque, paired with a 64kWh battery.
Plugged into a DC charger, it can charge from 15-80 per cent in 32 minutes at a charging rate of 125kW, and can fully charge from empty overnight in about 6.7 hours using an 11kW AC charger.
Maximising range, particularly in winter, the E-Transit Custom features a Vapour Injected Heat Pump, which effectively recycles heat from the powertrain for use through the digital climate control system.
Additionally, range and drivability are enhanced with One-Pedal Driving Mode, which intuitively controls vehicle speed using only the accelerator pedal.
This feature allows the vehicle to come to a complete stop without needing to engage the brake in certain situations.
Powered by a 111kW/320Nm electric motor and 86kW/209Nm 2.5-liter petrol engine, with a combined power output of 171kW across a wide powerband, Transit Custom PHEV has an official WLTP fuel economy rating of just 1.7L/100km and an electric-only range of up to 54km from its liquid-cooled 11.8kWh battery.
Offering drivers true flexibility while on the go, the low-emission Transit Custom PHEV features three EV Drive modes: Auto EV, EV Now, and EV Later.
Auto EV, automatically deploys a combination of petrol and electric power to optimise driving range and performance.
EV Now, operates solely on the electric motor.
EV Later, uses the 2.5L petrol motor, preserving battery charge for when the driver chooses to switch back to either Auto EV or EV Now modes.
Standard configuration includes a kerbside single sliding side load door and rear twin barn doors, with optional rear liftgate and dual sliding side load doors available for $700 and $1000 respectively.
In LWB models, there’s space for up to four standard Euro Pallets, LED Load Area Compartment Lights and up to eight tie-down loops, making it a highly practical and versatile commercial van.
In line with the rest of the Transit Custom range, the new electrified additions are covered by a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty, with scheduled services at 12-month or 30,000km intervals.
CHECKOUT: Ford Transit: Weight a minute
CHECKOUT: Ford Ranger Tremor: Off-road focus
