Ford Australia has confirmed that the all-electric E-Transit Custom van will arrive in local showrooms by the end of next year, as one of “at least five” electrified vehicles the car maker says it plans to be offering down under by the end of 2024.
The 2023 launch of the E-Transit Custom was confirmed by Ford on Thursday, alongside a lot more detail on the specs Australian drivers can expect from the electrified version of the hugely popular commercial vehicle.
Ford says the E-Transit Custom’s 400-volt, 74kWh battery pack will use the same advanced 81.2 Ah pouch cells as its popular electric ute, the Ford F-150 Lightning, In the Transit’s case it will offer a targeted range of up to 380km and 124kW fast-charging ability.
On charging, the electric van’s 11kW AC three-phase onboard charger can fully recharge the battery in 7.2 hours, while a DC fast charger can deliver up to 124kW for a 15-80 per cent recharge in 41 minutes.
Ford says a new charge profile front-loads the energy to enable quick, useful top-ups; in lab testing, the system delivered almost 38 km of range in just 5 minutes using a 124kW charger.
Australian-spec vehicles will have a 160kW motor offering 415 Nm of torque. The drive motor is fitted directly to the vehicle’s rear floor and rotated 90 degrees to maximise load space and reduce weight.
To help optimise driving range, the vans will also feature as standard a vapour-injected heat pump technology to heat and cool the cabin, designed to deliver improved energy efficiency.
A new brake-by-wire system also works to optimise range and allow one-pedal driving capability – Ford says drivers can stop the van without using the brake pedal when in one-pedal drive mode.
Finally, an optional feature can transform the e-Transit Custom cab into a business hub, with a flexible workspace including smart features like a steering wheel that tilts to become an ergonomic holder for laptops and tablets.
Ford says digital innovation is combined with no-compromise load carrying and capability – including a lower load floor for easier access.
“Our customers made Transit Custom the most popular commercial vehicle in Europe, and we’ve listened to those customers for well over 50 years,” said Jim Farley, president and CEO, Ford Motor Company.
“The new E-Transit Custom was designed and engineered to meet their needs – a Transit for the new era, but one that can still get its hands dirty when a job needs doing.”
The shift to electric appears to have been kind to Ford, so far, with reports this week showing its US vehicle sales up 27% in August compared to the same time one year ago.
Wall Street Journal says the auto maker has credited interest in its new, F-150 Lightning truck, launched in the US spring, as helping drive sales across the board – the all-electric ute is is selling at the fastest rate for any Ford vehicle at the moment, little more than a week after landing at dealerships.
Sophie is editor of One Step Off The Grid and deputy editor of its sister site, Renew Economy. Sophie has been writing about clean energy for more than a decade.