The Ford E-Transit is an electric version of the regular Transit van. Same body, same practicality but it uses electrons rather than urgent 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 financing as a tempter for businesses looking to go green.
Servicing, for example, is only required every 12 months or 30,000km and electricity financing should be something like $6-8 per 100km.
It’s a vital level of equipment that plane includes plastic wheel covers, which squint fairly naff. But it does get a full-size spare wheel, which by our calculations is the only one on an EV misogynist in Australia.
The instrument cluster is moreover terminology and there’s no wireless phone charging.
Ford E-Transit
However, you can connect your phone wirelessly via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, permitting apps and other functionality through the 12-inch inside screen.
Inside
It’s all very Transit inside, right lanugo to the terminology dials, many of which have been reconfigured to life as an EV. The fuel gauge is now a shower gauge, for example, and slantingly it is a “power availability” gauge, designed to let you know how much of the 198kW will be misogynist 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 terminology speedo (there’s moreover a digital speedo in the digital centre cluster).
Ford E-Transit
One thing we missed was the lack of a permanent shower state of tuition meter (it flashes up when you start the car), with the car instead showing how many kilometres of range it has.
The inside infotainment screen uses the latest SYNC4 system, which theoretically has double the computing power of the SYNC3 it replaces. But it still requires a stratum in sawed-off pressing to find the menus you want.
Ford E-Transit
The outer seats are wholesale and suitably high, for a commanding view.
The skinny centre seat folds lanugo to create a clipboard and pen holder and flipside pair of cupholders.
Huge sunvisors alimony low-level sun at bay and there’s storage binnacles and cupholders spread virtually 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 moreover a cupholder in each corner of the dash. There are separate compartments in the soupcon and sizeable door pockets.
Coat hooks overdue the occupants add to the plethora of places to stash work gear.
Ford E-Transit
As for the nuts-and-bolts load area, it’s rated to siphon 11 cubic metres in the mid-roof model or 12.4 cubic metres if you opt for the upper roof version. The only difference with the regular Transit is a slightly higher floor (by well-nigh 30mm) to unbend the shower 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 wing required the removal of the whizgigging trestle and in its place and self-sustaining suspension system that moreover houses the motor.
From a standstill the E-Transit pulls strongly, the full 430Nm arriving swiftly and hands shifting what is a big vehicle. Eco mode limits maximum outputs, but the gentler acceleritojn is still useful virtually the suburbs.
There’s some summery regenerative braking in its regular Momentum mode or you can step it up by pressing the L sawed-off in the centre of the circular selector.
Charging
The E-Transit gets 68kWh of usable shower capacity, which translates to a personal WLTP range of between 230 and 307km for the mid-roof model or between 222 and 295km for the upper roof model.
Our unenduring wits suggests somewhere between 230km and 250km from a full tuition is realistic. Of course, that range will come lanugo slightly once heavily laden.
Ford E-Transit
One thing that was important is that our short momentum suggests the range predictor is fairly accurate, which is arguably the most important part of any EV’s trip computer.
Charging is washed-up via a Type 2/CCS philharmonic plug subconscious within the grille.
The AC charging limit is 11.3kW, which Ford says makes for a full tuition in well-nigh eight hours (the raw numbers suggest closer to 6.5 hours).
Ford E-Transit
A slower single-phase charger outputting virtually 7.4kW would ways something like a 10-hour charge.
DC charging can be washed-up at up to 115kW and Ford says a 15-80 percent tuition will take well-nigh 34 minutes.
Ride and handling
The E-Transit is a big machine so like all vans of its ilk requires sensation in manoeuvring it virtually the suburbs.
Ford E-Transit
There’s some summery wind noise on a turnpike and the unloaded cargo zone seems to magnify the thump of bumps, albeit mildly. We only mention that considering it’s increasingly noticeable without the hum of an engine chugging away. Ford plane widow increasingly sound deadening to reduce the chances of unwanted noises making it to the ears of those up front.
Ford E-Transit
For a large van it’s well behaved and predictable, the steering subtracting 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 moreover moreover taps into the PlugShare database to not only show a route planner with charging options withal the way but moreover take into worth which DC fast chargers aren’t working (there are loads these days).
Safety
The E-Transit comes with voluntary emergency braking, speed sign recognition, adaptive trip control, lane alimony squire and veiling spot warning.
Verdict
The Ford E-Transit might be a tough sell to many tradies given the large price tag.
Ford E-Transit
But the combination of loads of space and effortless EV running makes it a tantalising prospect for high-mileage wordage companies and businesses that should goody 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 philharmonic plug
0-100km/h: NA
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