Europe’s love of vans is like Australia’s obsession with utes: And they are going electric

Pull into a Bunnings parking lot anywhere in Australia and at times you could be forgiven for thinking you were at a caryard for utes. In Europe, however, if you pull into the Bunnings equivalent you’ll find vans as far as the eye can see, and a growing number of them are electric.

Ford’s Transit van is the most popular van in the EU. It’s the Hilux of Europe. A car every tradie from Germany to Sweden will likely have. Non-tradies are also found driving the Transit van, though the obsession with driving a utility vehicle without the direct need for one doesn’t seem to come close with Australia’s obsession with utes.

Still, Australians do buy more than 20,000 vans a year and that number is growing. This is a market that Ford believes has even more room to grow, and potential to electrify.

Enter the E-Transit Custom. Ford’s latest fully electric van is coming to Australia sometime in 2024. The exact date is not yet known, and neither is the exact price. Based on EU pricing we’d expect it to be in the mid-$70,000s or thereabouts.

On a recent visit to Frankfurt in Germany at Ford’s invitation, The Driven got a chance to get up close and personal with their latest commercial vehicle offerings, including the e-Transit Custom van.

This will be the second electric van Ford has brought to Australia following the 2023 release of the FIRST e-Transit.

The e-Transit carries a maximum payload of about 2 tonnes, and so its size makes it a good option for only a niche segment of the commercial market. The e-Transit Custom, with a its smaller size and price tag in comparison to the e-Transit, will likely lend itself as a better option for a larger range of fleets and commercial customers across Australia.

Globally, Ford will release three iterations of the e-Transit Custom van, in the form of a 100kW, 160kW, and 210 kW models. Australia, however, will only be getting access to the middle of those options, at least for the time being.

The Australian appetite for vans is a lot smaller than other markets such as the EU, and probably a particular lack of interest in a 210kw model – that might not do much more than boost your acceleration by a couple of seconds as the lights go green before coming to another stop 20 metres later down Parramatta Road.

Getting into some of the specs, the e-Transit Custom, with its 160kw electric motor will come with a 64kw battery, offering a range of around about 300kms. Although not quite reaching the range of some of the consumer EVs we’ve gotten used to (often with a range of up to 500kms), in my view 300 is more than enough for the urban utility purpose the e-Transit Custom will likely fulfill.

You’ll get up to 11kw in AC charging, and up to 125 kw in DC charging. You can of course plug into the wall with a 3-pin charger although this would be a separate purchase and doesn’t come with the vehicle as standard.

The maximum payload stands at 1,012kg, fitting up to 5.8m³. You can tow up to 2300 kg.

Features of note in the cabin include a digital rear view mirror giving you full rear view. Nice for a van. A 13-inch landscape touchscreen, and Ford’s advanced SYNC 4⁴ communication and infotainment system. With the airbags located above your head on the roof of the cabin, you’ll also find plenty of practical storage areas around the cabin.

Another feature being the steering wheel adjusting into two extra positions in addition to the steering position. The first variation at a 45° angle. Opening a flap at the bottom of the wheel allows you to place a laptop on top at an ergonomic angle perfect for typing emails and taking video calls (needless to say when the vehicle is stationary).

A second variation taking the wheel into a fully flat position. Ford gives you a leather cover that you can then place in the middle of the wheel, converting it into a small table. Perfect for your lunch.

Taking the 160kw model for a drive over a couple of days around Frankfurt, it doesn’t take long to see some of the benefits for commercial operators electrifying their van fleet with something like the e-transit Custom. The faster torque is a benefit that comes with any electric vehicle.

The smoother cabin however is what struck me. Is the drive so good you forget you’re driving a van? Probably not, but you probably haven’t driven a van with better steering and handling than the E-Transit Custom.

Imagining myself driving this van for 6-8 hours per day, there is something to say for a more tranquil environment. I’d normally associate vans with a rough, loud, bumpy environment.

But the thought of spending lengthy periods of the day in the e-transit custom did seem a much more appetising prospect. Less noise, better suspension, excellent handling, and a chance of reaching 60km/h before the sun sets unlike many diesel vans.

2024 Ford E-Transit Custom at a glance
Price: TBC
Available: Q4 2024
Powertrain: Single rear-mounted electric motor
Towing capacity: 2300kg
Output: 160kW/415Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Battery: 64kWh lithium-ion
Range: 337km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 20kWh/100km
Safety rating: Platinum (Euro NCAP 2024)