The wait is over … well to at least see the Ford E-Transit custom 1t van and the plug in hybrid Ranger ute.
Both will be on display at the Mobility Live event in Melbourne, currently running at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The E-Transit Custom is the ‘baby brother’ to the Ford E-Transit van that has been available here since early 2023. Going by the number of questions I get about it: the E-Transit Custom is the one that many tradies have been waiting for to replace their current Transit custom, Hiace or similar with.
The E-Transit will certainly have a lot to offer the suburban tradie. It comes with up to 11kW AC/124kW DC charging and a 64kW battery offering up to 337 km range. Payload is 1,011kg and cargo volume of 6.8 cubic metres. (9.9 for the high roof version).
Unlike the E-Transit – the Custom does have a tow rating, and a decent one too at 2300kg. Pricing for the Custom would be expected to be somewhat less than the bigger the E-Transit (currently priced at $89k plus on road costs).
UK pricing would suggest something around $85k here, however one can only hope the EV price war works a little magic on that number, otherwise Ford may only manage to see them to the cream of cashed-up tradies!
The Ranger PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid EV) is their answer to providing a ute with a plug. However, Ford are not yet going all-in on the move to BEV and, like BYD with the Shark, are only dipping their toe into the plug-in electric ute pool.
With an EV-only range of around 45km on the WLTP, it combines a 12kWh battery with a turbocharged 2.3 litre 4 cylinder petrol motor.
Towing and load capacity remain identical to its combustion engine predecessor. Provided owners do regularly charge their PHEV Rangers, that at least will cover much of the vehicle’s day-to-day driving … whilst making its owner perhaps wonder why they need to lug around the internal combustion motor (with its ongoing service requirements) instead of a bigger battery.
For those living in Sydney, both vehicles will also be on display at the Sydney International EV show on November 8-10.
However, the wait to buy either continues: to buy one, you will need to wait until next year. Ford have emphasised they will go on sale in Australia ‘in 2025’, with no official date yet set.
Bryce Gaton is an expert on electric vehicles and contributor for The Driven and Renew Economy. He has been working in the EV sector since 2008 and is currently working as EV electrical safety trainer/supervisor for the University of Melbourne. He also provides support for the EV Transition to business, government and the public through his EV Transition consultancy EVchoice.