Ford E-Transit review

The Ford E-Transit is an electric version of the regular Transit van. Same body, same practicality but it uses electrons rather than burning diesel.

Value

The E-Transit (as opposed to the E-Transit Custom) is priced from $104,990 plus on-road costs. That’s a huge step up on the diesel-powered alternative, although Ford points to much lower running costs as a tempter for businesses looking to go green.

Servicing, for example, is only required every 12 months or 30,000km and electricity costs should be something like $6-8 per 100km.

It’s a basic level of equipment that even includes plastic wheel covers, which look fairly naff. But it does get a full-size spare wheel, which by our calculations is the only one on an EV available in Australia.

The instrument cluster is also analogue and there’s no wireless phone charging.

However, you can connect your phone wirelessly via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, allowing apps and other functionality through the 12-inch central screen.

Inside

It’s all very Transit inside, right down to the analogue dials, many of which have been reconfigured to life as an EV. The fuel gauge is now a battery gauge, for example, and alongside it is a “power availability” gauge, designed to let you know how much of the 198kW will be available when you push your foot to the floor.

There’s then a larger power gauge that shows how much power you’re using at any time as well as an analogue speedo (there’s also a digital speedo in the digital centre cluster).

One thing we missed was the lack of a permanent battery state of charge meter (it flashes up when you start the car), with the car instead showing how many kilometres of range it has. 

The central infotainment screen uses the latest SYNC4 system, which apparently has double the computing power of the SYNC3 it replaces. But it still requires a degree in button pressing to find the menus you want.

The outer seats are broad and suitably high, for a commanding view.

The skinny centre seat folds down to create a clipboard and pen holder and another pair of cupholders.

Huge sunvisors keep low-level sun at bay and there’s storage binnacles and cupholders spread around the three-seat cabin. And overhead shelf contains separate binnacles, while the upper dashboard is a mass of buckets of various sizes ready to swallow anything from clipboards to phones. There’s also a cupholder in each corner of the dash. There are separate compartments in the dash and sizeable door pockets.

Coat hooks behind the occupants add to the plethora of places to stash work gear.

As for the all-important load area, it’s rated to carry 11 cubic metres in the mid-roof model or 12.4 cubic metres if you opt for the high roof version. The only difference with the regular Transit is a slightly higher floor (by about 30mm) to accommodate the battery pack underneath.

The payload is 1611kg and 1566kg respectively.

Performance and efficiency

There’s a single electric motor driving the rear wheels. Maximum outputs are rated at 198kW and 430Nm.

Its addition required the removal of the beam axle and in its place and independent suspension system that also houses the motor.

From a standstill the E-Transit pulls strongly, the full 430Nm arriving swiftly and easily shifting what is a big vehicle. Eco mode limits maximum outputs, but the gentler acceleritojn is still useful around the suburbs.

There’s some mild regenerative braking in its regular Drive mode or you can step it up by pressing the L button in the centre of the circular selector.

Charging

The E-Transit gets 68kWh of usable battery capacity, which translates to a claimed WLTP range of between 230 and 307km for the mid-roof model or between 222 and 295km for the high roof model.

Our brief experience suggests somewhere between 230km and 250km from a full charge is realistic. Of course, that range will come down slightly once heavily laden.

One thing that was important is that our short drive suggests the range predictor is fairly accurate, which is arguably the most important part of any EV’s trip computer.

Charging is done via a Type 2/CCS combo plug hidden within the grille.

The AC charging limit is 11.3kW, which Ford says makes for a full charge in about eight hours (the raw numbers suggest closer to 6.5 hours).

A slower single-phase charger outputting around 7.4kW would means something like a 10-hour charge.

DC charging can be done at up to 115kW and Ford says a 15-80 percent charge will take about 34 minutes.

Ride and handling

The E-Transit is a big machine so like all vans of its ilk requires awareness in manoeuvring it around the suburbs.

There’s some mild wind noise on a freeway and the unloaded cargo area seems to magnify the thump of bumps, albeit mildly. We only mention that because it’s more noticeable without the hum of an engine chugging away. Ford even added more sound deadening to reduce the chances of unwanted noises making it to the ears of those up front.

For a large van it’s well behaved and predictable, the steering adding to its competence.

Talking point

The E-Transit is the first EV sold in Australia with a proper spare wheel. It’s housed under the front of the car, which was the only place designers could find space. 

The E-Transit also also taps into the PlugShare database to not only show a route planner with charging options along the way but also take into account which DC fast chargers aren’t working (there are loads these days).

Safety

The E-Transit comes with autonomous emergency braking, speed sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and blind spot warning.

Verdict

The Ford E-Transit might be a tough sell to many tradies given the large price tag.

But the combination of loads of space and effortless EV running makes it a tantalising prospect for high-mileage delivery companies and businesses that should benefit from its lower running costs.

Make/Model specifications

Price: $104,990 plus on-road costs

Basics: EV, 3 seats, 2 doors, large van, RWD

Range: 222-307km (WLTP)

Battery capacity: 68kWh

Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km

Energy consumption: TBA

Motors: 1 rear 198kW/430Nm

AC charging: 11.3kW, Type 2 plug

DC charging: 115kW, CCS combo plug

0-100km/h: NA