Productivity is boosted both by Ford Pro’s connected services – which include a new home charging feature – and by innovations such as the tilt steering wheel and digital upgrades.
Ford Pro’s all-new E-Transit Custom is now being launched in Europe, enabling small and medium-sized businesses to electrify their one-tonne vans, which play a leading role in such businesses.
The E-Transit Custom comes to market at a defining moment in the adoption of electric vehicles by small businesses. A new report from the Center for Economic and Business Research, soon to be published, finds that the share of all-electric vans in relation to total sales in the category more than quintupled in major markets from 2018 to 2023.
Developed from the ground up with innovative customer-inspired solutions, the E-Transit Custom ideally combines advanced pure electric mobility technologies with Ford Pro’s digital and physical software and services platform to help businesses reduce cost of ownership, operate more efficiently and simplify their transition to EVs.
Supporting the launch of its new EV, Ford Pro introduces a comprehensive home charging solution for businesses – which includes installation of a connected wall charger, management software as well as maintenance – which will be available in major European markets.
The all-electric version of Europe’s best-selling one-tonne van model offers innovative new features designed with the needs of small and medium-sized businesses in mind. Some of these on the inside are standard 5G connectivity and a unique tilt steering wheel.
The efficient electric drive system supports autonomy up to 337 km and 2 year service intervals without a mileage limit, with the primary objective of improving the cost of ownership. No compromises in cargo transportation, it offers payload up to 1,011 kglower loading floor with improved access and class leading towing capacity of 2,300 kg.
The all-new E-Transit Custom is now available to order. The new model joins Ford’s Pro range of electric vans for Europe, which includes both the larger E-Transit and the compact E-Transit Courier van scheduled for launch in 2025.
Optimized electric drive system
All E-Transit Custom are equipped with a battery with a useful capacity of 64 kWh. The E-Transit Custom is the first electric vehicle to use it steam injection heat pump technology for heating and cooling the cabin, which is standard on all versions. This new system is designed to provide improved energy efficiency for the benefit of autonomy. Regenerative braking allows driving with one pedal (one-pedal driving), for more comfortable city driving and improved efficiency.
The electric motor is mounted at the rear of the floor and has been rotated 90 degrees to maximize cargo space and reduce weight and complexity. Depending on their needs, customers can choose between performing versions 100 kW or 160 kW (135 PS or 217 PS). Both are class leading torque that reaches 415 Nm.
A full charge on the 11kW Ford Pro home charger takes around 6.7 hours. Customers can also charge the battery from 10 to 80% of its maximum capacity in approximately 39 minutes on a 125 kW AC supply – in lab tests, a 10-minute charge added 82 km of range to the battery.
The battery is mounted in the floor of the cargo area, above the door sill covers, so that there is no need for separate structures to absorb the energy of a collision. For optimal use of space and for reasons of weight reductionthe rest of the components that are under the body of the new E-Transit Custom are concentrated around the battery.
As with the larger E-Transit, customers can choose the system Pro Power Onboard with a power of 2.3 kW to power power tools and external lights required during work.
Ford Pro expects the new E-Transit Custom to deliver lower running costs compared to an equivalent diesel vehicle – for the E-Transit, maintenance cost reductions can reach up to 40%. This saving is a result of the 2-year service interval without a mileage limit, combined with the warranty 8 years/160,000 km covering all high voltage components.
Designed for unparalleled productivity
In developing the E-Transit Custom, Ford took customer feedback into account to determine the key features and capabilities the new vehicle needed to deliver. The all-new architecture supports a new level of productivity with features such as:
• Lower load floor, class-leading side door opening and new side step for easier loading
• Overall height under 2 meters on most models for improved access to spaces with limited height
• Independent rear suspension with semi-trailing arms aimed at improving grip, handling and steering precision
Innovations designed to make the cab more productive and comfortable during long shifts include:
• Optional Mobile Office with tilting steering wheel
• Delivery Assist time-saving technology
• Front wheels and upper suspension knee mounts repositioned for improved cabin clearance and access
• Roof-mounted driver’s airbag to create a dashboard storage space capable of holding a laptop or an A4 file
As the security of the vehicle itself, tools and cargo is a vital concern for small and medium-sized businesses, Ford Pro introduces factory fit TVL lock packages, without the cost and downtime of an aftermarket fitment.
Digital experiences and software
For greater ease of use, all E-Transit Custom are equipped with a 13-inch touch screen tilted towards the driver and laid out horizontally. The display supports the advanced communication and entertainment system SYNC 4 of Ford that operates via a 5G modem ensuring seamless connectivity with Ford Pro’s advanced technology stack.
More than 30 separate units of E-Transit Custom are able to receive over-the-air software updates;. These can contribute to improving vehicle performance, providing quality upgrades, updating existing features as well as adding entirely new functions and features. Most updates are completed in less than two minutes and can be scheduled to avoid any downtime.
Even more version options
Providing the most comprehensive range ever for the new Transit Custom, E-Transit Custom operators can choose between L1 or L2 body length versions, combined with a wide range of bodies to support any business use:
• Panel vanwith a loading capacity of up to 6.8 m and a payload of up to 1,011 kg
• Kombiwith maximum flexibility in terms of cargo space and the total number of seats for up to eight passengers
Administrators can choose a version that meets their particular needs:
• Trendwhich combines functionality and durability with sophisticated technologies
• Limitedwith additional equipment items such as 16-inch alloy wheels, body-colored exterior details and a full equipment package for the cargo area
• Sportwhich features unique stripe decals, 17-inch alloy wheels and a luxurious cabin
For small businesses that want to electrify their vehicle fleet but their scope of work or conditions do not allow for full electrification, Ford Pro offers the new Transit Custom PHEV, which offers the option of driving purely on electric power in the center of the city and with the help of the petrol engine on longer routes on the motorway. The new powertrain is similar to that used in the Ford Kuga Plug-In Hybrid – the best-selling PHEV in Europe for the past three years – ideally combining a 2.5-litre petrol engine operating on the Atkinson cycle with a battery with useful 11.8 kWh capacity. The combined performance of the system amounts to 233 PS, with the electric range reaching up to 56 km.
The first E-Transit Custom will arrive in dealerships in select markets later this summer – availability in all EU markets will follow in 2025.
Source: Skai
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