Ford has revealed the new E-Transit Custom to the public for the first time, with the medium electric van making its debut at the 2022 IAA Transportation show in Hannover. It will be able to offer 125kW fast charging, a payload of up to 1,100kg and a 2,000kg maximum towing capacity when it launches next year.
The next generation of Transit Custom will be the first of its kind to be fully electric and it will go into production in the second half of 2023. It comes with a selection of driver-centric features such as a flat-floor, walk-through cabin and a steering wheel that can be turned into a table.
Ford has also said that it is targeting an official range of 236 miles, which is a step up from the E-Transit’s official range of 196 miles. This 236-mile range is still yet to be confirmed though, and could change when it is officially homologated – this happened with the E-Transit. But even if it stays close to that 236-mile figure it will likely be best in class.
The Transit Custom is based on an all-new platform with independent rear suspension, which aims to make the new van even more stable and comfortable than before, while still retaining the dynamism for which it is renowned.
The electric version is rear-wheel drive only and offers a motor with 415Nm of torque. It will come with a choice of 134hp and 215hp power outputs, making it the most powerful medium van you can buy in the UK, based on what is available right now.
The launch is part of a bigger plan to launch four electric commercial vehicles by 2024. This will see the Transit Courier van, the Tourneo Custom and Tourneo Courier also get electric versions.
By 2030, Ford expects two-thirds of all its commercial vehicles sales to be all-electric or plug-in hybrid. The plug-in hybrid model will come with an engine that is closely related to the unit in the Ford Kuga Plug-in Hybrid, with a 2.5-litre petrol engine and a 11.8kWh battery – a big upgrade on the 1.0-litre petrol in the previous Custom PHEV.
Ford has also revealed the diesel line up for the new Transit Custom, with a 2.0-litre engine in 110hp, 136hp, 150hp and 170hp power outputs – the same engines as in the current model.
Because of Ford’s partnership with Volkswagen, the 2023 Ford Transit Custom will also form the basis of the next-generation VW Transporter. It will also lead to a new Ford Tourneo Custom passenger vehicle.
How the Ford Transit Custom’s interior has turned into a mobile office
Ford has recognised that van owners spend a lot of time in their vehicle when they are not driving, and plenty use the interior as a mobile office.
The all-new platform has also enabled Ford to include notable changes to the interior that make it a much more useable space, both on the move and while stationary. The floor is totally flat, both in the front part of the cabin and between the two front seats. This makes getting through the cabin much easier, but also allows for more knee room for the middle occupant, making it a much more realistic three-seater when the dual front passenger seat is fitted.
There is also a clever new trick involving the steering wheel. The rim can be tilted away from you to create a little laptop stand with a small bracket to keep your computer or tablet in place. It can then be rotated ever further to create a horizontal surface onto which you can put a specially created disc to make a little table for the driver to eat or write at.
This comes as part of a Mobile Office pack, which also includes dimmable LED interior lighting, and extra storage between the seats for documents or devices.
The new platform also sees the passenger airbag move to the roof, which allows more storage down on the dashboard – large enough to take an A4 file or a laptop. It does mean that there is no longer any overhead storage, though.
Functions to speed up the working day
The E-Transit Custom also comes with a Delivery Assist pack, which helps those who jump in and out of their van multiple times a day. You will be able to program so that, when you put the van into park, it automatically activates the hazard lights, closes any open windows and locks the doors when the driver gets out. When the driver returns, they will be able to get back in without using the key and everything will return to its previous setting.
There is also a setting that allows you to open the loading door hands free, by waving your foot underneath the outside of the vehicle.
Ford has also announced new Digital Key function, which allows operators to assign keys to colleagues remotely. They then work like a hotel key card, allow them to open and drive the van without having to return to base to get a physical key.
What is the range and charging like on the new Ford E-Transit Custom?
Ford is still targeting the 236-mile range it hinted at when it first revealed the E-Transit Custom. It has also said that it will be able offer fast 125kW charging that allows you to take the battery from 15% to 80% in 41 minutes. It should also be possible to get 38km (24 miles) in the first five minutes on a fast charger.
An 11kW charger will get you from 0-100% in around 7h 50min.
How practical is the new Ford E-Transit Custom?
Another functional tweak sees the introduction of a new L-shaped bulkhead, which allows you to have a couple of second row seats and a full-length loading bay so you can have the best of both worlds.
The precise details of payloads for the full range haven’t been revealed, but Ford says that it will be able to carry up to 1,100kg in the electric model. It will be able to tow, too, with a minimum towing ability of 1,200kg as standard, but the strongest version will be able to haul 2,000kg.
Although it has only been shown in a single height so far, there will be the same choice of heights and lengths as in the current Transit Custom – two lengths and two heights. This means that there will be a range of load volumes stretching from 5.8m3 to 9.0m3. The all-new platform means that there is a sub-2m model for ease of access around town.
There will also be a double-cab-in-van version and a kombi model as well as the version with the L-shaped bulkhead. Kombi models can be had with the high-end Limited and Trail trims for the first time.
Ford also says it has moved the 12V battery from its old position of under the driver’s seat to allow for a load-through hatch to take pipes measuring up to 3m in length.
What do we know about the full new Ford Transit Custom range so far?
Ford has confirmed that the electric model will exist alongside all the powertrains currently offered, and not in replacement of them. The E-Transit Custom was the first version to be revealed, but at the IAA Transportation show it revealed the other models, including details of the diesel and plug-in hybrid.
The electric version comes with a drastically restyled front end with a grille that no longer features the horizontal bars of the current model. Instead, it gets a floating honeycomb style design, with sleeker full-LED headlights and a light bar running across the base of the bonnet. Initial information suggests that the cab doors are large and the seating position has been altered versus the outgoing model. The roof and step-in height have been lowered, too, which may have an impact on overall capacity.
Ford has also confirmed that the new E-Transit Custom will feature ProPower technology, which brings the ability to export some of its electricity to power tools, lights and other devices while out on site and away from mains sockets. This is no major surprise as the bigger Transit is able to do the same.
The news of an E-Transit Custom originally came just a few weeks after Ford’s announcement in February 2021 that all of its commercial vehicles will be ‘zero-emissions capable’ by 2024.
Any info on the new Ford Transit Custom diesel?
The diesel models and their engines were revealed with somewhat less fanfare than the electric version, making their debut appearance at the 2022 IAA Transportation show in Hannover. There will be four diesel engines to choose from, all using a 2.0-litre unit with a choice of 110hp, 136hp, 150hp and 170hp power outputs.
They will come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, which can come with a mechanical limited-slip differential as an option. There will also be a new eight-speed automatic transmission available for the first time too. This can come with a new all-wheel drive system, which is another first for the Transit Custom.
The diesel models get a front end that is more in taking with previous versions of the Transit Custom, with horizontal bars rather than the floating design of the electric model.
What about the new Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid?
Ford has confirmed that there will be some major changes to the plug-in hybrid Transit Custom, with the new model getting a much bigger petrol engine and battery combo.
The system is comparable to the one in the Ford Kuga PHEV, wand uses a 2.5-litre petrol engine and an 11.8kWh battery. This should bring an electric only range of 35 miles, which would be an improvement of 4.5 miles over the old model. It hasn’t confirmed a combined fuel economy just yet though.
What trims will the new Transit Custom come with?
There will be six different versions of the Transit Custom, all using existing names and approaches. There will be Base, Trend, Limited, Active, Trail and Sport to choose from.
Although we don’t have precise details of what each one will come with, we can make educated assumptions around how they will be equipped. Expect the Base model to come with less in the way of frills, with black bumpers likely to feature, while Active, Trail and Sport will have much more in the way of bespoke visual upgrades.
Ford showed a Trail model on the IAA stand, which revealed that this version will still have the extra cladding, roof rails and coloured details that make the current Trail stand out.
Where will the new Transit Custom be made?
The 2023 Transit Custom will continued to be built by Ford Otosan – Ford’s joint-venture operation in Turkey – in Kocaeli, which it describes as ‘the home of the Ford Transit range’. It’s been the ‘global lead’ production centre for Transit models since 2004, accounting for around 85% of Transit family vehicle production since.
It’s also an extremely efficient, cost-effective production facility for Ford, and will only become more so when it starts building VW Transporters (based on the same technology) as well.
This should be good news for buyers, as the cheaper Ford (and VW) can build the vans, the more competitive the retail pricing should be. Something that’s becoming more and more important as we expect more and more technology and safety equipment included.
In December 2020, Ford Otosan announced a 2 billion Euro investment into Kocaeli, which will turn it into Turkey’s ‘first and only integrated production centre for the assembly of electric vehicles and batteries.’ Around 3,000 people will ultimately be employed there.
But while Turkey grabs the headlines here, development of new Ford commercial vehicles is still heavily dependent on work in Dagenham in the UK, where the diesel engines are produced – as well as Cologne in Germany, which produces transmissions.
What’s this about Ford building Volkswagens?
This is all part of ‘Project Cyclone’ – a strategic alliance between Ford and Volkswagen to share the cost of development and production in many areas but particularly commercial vehicles.
Ford says the tie-up will also ‘enhance the customer experience by bringing more technologies to market, faster.’
The first fruit of the Ford-VW alliance will be the new Transit Connect, which will be based on the VW Caddy Cargo and is set to be unveiled in 2021; then in 2022 the new Ford Ranger and new VW Amarok are expected to appear – with Ford leading the development on these and the larger vans.
What’s Ford saying about the new Transit Custom?
Ford of Europe president, Stuart Rowley, made this statement as part of the announcement: ‘The next-generation Transit Custom range – including the all-electric versions – will strengthen Ford’s position as Europe’s number one commercial vehicle brand.’
Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, added: ‘This is a watershed moment for commercial vehicle operators in Europe, and another hugely significant realisation of our Ford Pro ambitions. Europe’s best-selling van just went all-electric and – supported by our unique Ford Pro one-stop-shop of productivity-boosting services – the operating benefits this will bring to business across Europe cannot be overstated.
