The all new electric Ford Transit Custom Van has broken cover although it won’t be seen on UK roads for around 15 months but it looks like it may be worth the wait for some when it starts production in autumn 2023 at Ford Otosan in Kocaeli, Turke and it will be one of four new Ford Pro electric commercial vehicles coming to Europe by 2024. E-Transit Custom will be e E-Transit Custom delivers payloads up to 1,100 kg, a lower load floor with easier access, and maximum towing capacity of 2,000 kg.

Driveline

E-Transit Custom Van’s 400-volt, 74 kWh useable battery pack uses advanced 82 Ah pouch cells shared with the Ford F-150 Lightning to deliver 12 per cent more energy density than the E‑Transit and the battery enables a targeted range of up to 235 miles, which according to Ford is over four times the average one-tonne van driver’s daily mileage.

Customers can choose from 100 kW or 160 kW (135 PS or 217 PS) motor power outputs to suit their needs, each offering a class-leading 415 Nm of torque and the motor is fitted directly to the vehicle’s rear floor, removing the need for a dedicated subframe, and is rotated 90 degrees to maximise load space and reduce weight and complexity.

E-Transit electric van also supports DC fast charging up to 125 kW for a 15-80 per cent recharge in 41 minutes and they have ‘tweaked’ the charging profile to front-load the energy to enable quick, useful top-ups in tests the system delivered almost 24 miles of range in just 5 minutes using a 125 kW charger. Ford Pro customers can access the Blue Oval Charging Network – Europe’s largest, with over 300,000 chargers and growing – and every E‑Transit Custom is sold with a 12-month complimentary subscription to access public charging via the Blue Oval Charging Network.

E-Transit Custom’s 11 kW AC three-phase onboard charger is capable of fully recharging the battery in 7.8 hours, so customers will be able recharge overnight after a shift and an eight-year, 160,000 km warranty covers all high-voltage components.

The vehicle will come is Ford Pro E-Telematics which will be complimentary for a year, it 000uses live data to help operators monitor the location, efficiency and health of their vehicles for maximum productivity. The software also supports optimised charging strategies with EV-specific insights such as charging status, state of charge, and remaining range with customisable Low Range alert thresholds. Owners can also programme E-Transit Custom’s battery and cab to be warmed or cooled before work with Scheduled Pre‑Conditioning to conserve energy for optimum range.

One unique aspect of this electric vehicle is its use of vapour-injected heat pump technology to heat and cool the cabin, fitted as standard to all vehicles helping to improve energy efficiency a key criteria for longer range.

One pedal driving

There are already a few vehicles available with one pedal driving and the new E-Transit Custom is another, the system blends friction braking with regenerative braking that harvests energy during deceleration to top up the battery for extra driving range enabling the driver to stop the van without using the brake pedal when in one-pedal drive mode. Other available drive modes provide less deceleration to suit other driving scenarios. The system is designed to use the friction brakes frequently enough to prevent the

New key features

As with a lot of Ford products there are lots of options packs, the mobile office pack features a new tilting steering wheel folds into a stand for tablets and laptops as well as a flat-topped table, the pack also includes dimmable LED lighting to illuminate the tilted steering wheel area, an additional dome light in the roof and storage between the seats for documents and devices.

Delivery Assist automates some of the process to help save time and improve security it is activated when the driver puts the van into park the vehicle automatically switches on its hazard lights, closes any open windows, and locks the door once the driver leaves the van. When returning, the driver can enter the vehicle keylessly and start the vehicle, the hazard lights will switch off and the windows will return to their previous position. Digital Key works like a hotel key card allowing operators to remotely assign and track keys to people and vehicles.

ProPower Onboard is available to deliver up to 2.3 kW through sockets in the cab and load area to power tools, lights and devices using the vehicle’s high-voltage battery while driving or at a work site and this is linked to SecuriAlert which provides a notification if it detects someone trying to access the vehicle, and also enables the user to lock or unlock doors remotely.

Body Dimensions and weights

This Transit Custom will share its body outline with the next generation Volkswagen Transporter and this new vehicle has a load floor  lower than the outgoing model, to make loading cargo and accessing the cab easier allowing the overall height to be under the ‘magic’ two metres to help access in height-restricted areas such as multi-storey car parks, garages, and underground loading bays.

As a panel van, E-Transit Custom offers load volumes from 5.8 to 9.0 m³, with payload up to 1,100 kg ³ and a maximum load length of 3,450 mm with all vans featuring semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension to contribute towards the lower floor height and to improve steering precision, handling and traction. The front wheels and strut towers have also been moved further forward, resulting in much better cross-cab access, improved foot space and footrests for occupants in the front.

Safety Features

As always Ford features a full suite of safety features including Pre-Collision Assist, Lane-Keeping System, Driver Alert, Cruise Control with Adjustable Speed Limiter, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Assist, Wrong Way Alert, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera. Inside Ford also has a ‘first’ for vans, in a roof mounted airbag that enables dashboard storage large enough to take a laptop or A4 file, as well as increase flexibility for upfit panels and devices which can now be fitted closer to the driver using industry-standard AMPS mountings

Interior

E-Transit Custom has a column-mounted gear lever, electronic handbrake and “squircle” steering wheel combine to help cross-cab access, the dashboard has a 13‑inch landscape touchscreen angled towards the driver and is equipped with Ford’s advanced SYNC 4 communication and infotainment system powered by a new 5G modem for superfast connectivity to the Ford Pro tech stack.

The heating and ventilation system has a new Driver Focus Mode option that uses sensors to direct airflow only to occupied seats and intelligent windscreen which monitors temperature and humidity, and automatically makes small heat and airflow changes to proactively keep the windscreen clear for improved efficiency and ease of use.

What Ford management say about it 

“Powered by the Ford Pro digital ecosystem, E-Transit Custom offers a genuinely revolutionary proposition to European van customers,” said Ted Cannis, CEO, Ford Pro. “These vital businesses contribute €786 billion to Europe’s economy, and E-Transit Custom will give them a much-needed productivity boost as they transition to EVs.”

“Transit Custom is a hard act to follow – Europe’s top-selling van and last year’s best-selling vehicle overall in the UK – but the all-new E‑Transit Custom is a huge leap forward for our customers,” said Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe. “E‑Transit Custom’s ground-up new design, unmatched connected ecosystem and innovative customer experiences will redefine productivity for our