Styling
As midsized, two-box vans go, the basic Transit Custom shape is sleekly styled, so the Sport trim for this 160kW (217hp) e-Transit version makes it a model with plenty of aesthetic appeal. Sport-specific touches include the twin stripe decals at both ends, the 17-inch alloys and a discreet spoiler at the terminus of the roofline, while electric visual cues are the lack of exhaust tailpipes at the back, giveaway 'e-' badging on the rear doors and then the charging port being situated under one of the Custom's front lights. Overall, it's a smart-looking CV with a conventionality that will make it appeal to business owners, but those wanting a little more design clout can go for a wild MS-RT version that has 19-inch alloys, an even larger spoiler at the back and sportier lower body detailing. We think the Sport is handsome enough, mind.
Interior
There are a few of the disparate body styles available for the e-Transit Custom, including the Double Cab in Van (used to be called a 'crew cab') and the Multicab, which is a weird balance of cargo space to seating capacity with an L-shaped load area, and there's even an e-Tourneo Custom if you want an MPV civilian version of the commercial machine. But we're driving the regular 'Van' here. This means there are three seats in the cab and as much load bay as you can get, albeit in the shorter wheelbase available (known as 'L1'). There is a long-wheelbase L2 available for the e-Transit Custom Van, but the roof height is fixed on both models.
Anyway, the cabin of the e-Transit Custom is excellent, as it is a mix of the useful touches of a CV's interior, mixed with the sort of material quality and finishing you'd expect in a decent premium car these days. All of the main touchpoints feel superb and, with the massive 13-inch SYNC 4 infotainment and an eight-inch digital instrument cluster, this van has a human-machine interface that's almost as snazzy and high-tech as that found in a
Mk7 Mustang. With a good, supportive driver's seat and excellent visibility out, the e-Transit Custom's cab is a fine place to have to spend plenty of time; ideal for the targeted end user, then.
Practicality
As this is a van, understandably practicality levels are high - and that's compared to other CVs, obviously, not to your common-or-garden hatchback. So an L1H1 Custom like this can take 5.8 cubic metres in the load area, with the e-Transit not sacrificing any space as a result of its electric drivetrain and rear-mounted motor. This means you have 2,602mm of load length from the rear doors to the bulkhead, with up to 3,050mm-long items capable of being carried with the load-through system if you don't need a full complement of humans up in the Ford's cab. Max load width is 1,777mm, with 1,392mm between the wheel-arch liners, and the ultimate height of the cargo area is 1,433mm. This is accessed by a side sliding door that has an aperture of more than a metre (1,030mm), as well as double 'barn' doors at the back that reveal an opening which is 1,400mm wide.
Other salient stats of the e-Transit Custom 160kW including an impressive towing weight of 2,300kg (braked trailer) and a maximum payload of 962kg, while the in-cab storage solutions are multitudinous and include a central covered cubby with the wireless smartphone charging pad, a large glovebox, a lidded stowage bin on the dash-top, under-seat drawers, cupholders stationed on the outer wings of the fascia, and then a whole array of ledges and pockets in the door cards. And thanks to the transmission being on a column shift in the e-Transit Custom, the floor area of the cab is completely flat, meaning sliding in and out of the passenger compartment via either door is easy - a boon for multidrop drivers who are in and out of the Ford CV all day long during working hours.
However, two features mark out the e-Transit Custom as even more thoughtful when it comes to catering for the typical end user. The first is in the load bay, where Pro Power Onboard means there are power sockets so that electric tools can be operated from the van's systems, even in remote areas. Ford reckons that, for example, running a circular saw for an hour from PPO will only sap three miles of range from the battery pack, which is a minimal drain.
The other, though, is the signature fold-down steering wheel, which can lie flat at the click of a handle on the base of the rim, before a plastic bit fits into the centre to form a tray table or miniature desk, as required. It has a safety override which means it can't be operated unless the gearbox is in Park, and it really is a novel idea that works very well in practice. Owner-operators will undoubtedly love it.
Performance
Ford still sells the Transit Custom with a 2.0-litre EcoBlue turbodiesel engine, delivering anything from 110- to 170hp, with 310- to 390Nm accordingly, and also a 2.5-litre, 233hp plug-in hybrid as well. However, the e-Transit has three different power choices, with all models using a 64kWh battery pack and developing 415Nm. Choose from the 100kW (136hp) variant with a range of up to 202 miles, this middle-grade 160kW (217hp) example that can go a claimed 191 miles without needing a charge, and then a bonkers (and probably unnecessary) 210kW (286hp) derivative that drops the range all the way to 171 miles at the expense of some speed - this is reserved for the MS-RT specification only.
Honestly, though, having tried the 217- and 286hp e-Transits, you really don't need the latter. The speed and pick-up of the 160kW unit in this Sport model is more than sufficient and it makes the Ford CV surprisingly swift in traffic, as well as thoroughly capable at motorway speeds. It almost goes without saying that the 'click it into D and forget about it' easy-going nature of an electric drivetrain makes driving the e-Transit Custom Sport a doddle, which again is going to help with people who are spending long days in the cab for work purposes.
Admittedly, you're probably looking at the 191-mile range and thinking that if the van is fully laden, and it's also using electrical drains on its system, then you're not going to get anything like 191 miles from the vehicle before needing to charge it again. That's possibly true, but it has enough range that it should admirably suit short- and mid-range business users, and if it doesn't then there's always the plug-in hybrid and diesel drivetrains available for longer-distance commercial operators.
That said, the charging times are suitably swift for the e-Transit Custom. Its fastest charging speed is 125kW DC, which'll see the battery go from 10-80 per cent charge in just 39 minutes, while advanced 11kW AC connections will fully top it up in a little less than seven hours. For the more typical 7.4kW AC hook-up, it'll take ten hours to go from 0-100 per cent, which is fine for businesses to charge them overnight while the vans are sitting 'dormant', as it were.
Ride & Handling
The Transit Custom has a very accomplished, car-like driving experience as it is, so adding the super-smoothness of the electric powertrain only enhances the refinement levels significantly. As something quiet, cultured and incredibly comfortable to travel around in, this e-Transit is a marvel. Even relatively empty (Ford had strapped
some load of an unspecified weight into the cargo area of our test vehicle, presumably to calm the rear suspension down), it rides with a grace and serenity on even rough urban roads that's quite remarkable for a CV, and it doesn't lose much of that composure when speeds rise.
This, again, is ideal for someone who has to be in it all day long, every day of the week, because the more relaxing it is to drive, the easier it is to get on with all the other necessary tasks of a van-based job. Yet, being a Ford, it even has decent handling, considering what the e-Transit Custom is beneath it all. Sharp, slop-free steering and impressive body control makes it capable in the corners, with little feeling of it being agricultural or bouncing around as the rear axle loses all semblance of collectedness. It's just a really well-sorted, really nice thing to drive in all circumstances and a big part of that is its electrical nature - the reductions in noise, vibration and harshness it brings cannot be underestimated.
Final interesting point: diesel Transit Customs are either front- or, optionally, four-wheel drive, while the plug-in hybrid sends all its power to the front axle only. But the e-Transits have rear-mounted motors, so they're all rear-wheel drive, if that kind of kinematic detail interests you.
Value
A basic 100kW e-Transit Custom is a good £10,000, and more, dearer than the cheapest ICE-powered variant, which is a big chunk of cash on every unit for a business to have to find. And a 160kW Sport L1H1 like our test vehicle is approaching 50 grand, without the VAT added, so it's clearly not going to be a cheap decision for a fleet operator to switch from older diesel vans to this fancy all-electric newcomer. However, the tax benefits its zero-emission powertrain brings, along with the much more affordable running costs if charged on low-price energy tariffs and the associated reduced maintenance outlay too, all aim to balance the books in favour of the e-Transit Custom. Fleet managers will also love the hyper-connected app that can monitor practically everything about the e-Transit Custom and its state of charge while it is on the move, so there are plenty of benefits to going electric with your CV(s).
Verdict
Although its outright range will not suit every small and medium enterprise owner who might be considering the Ford e-Transit Custom, in many respects the execution of this electric commercial vehicle is quite magnificent. As a 160kW Sport like this, it's brilliant to drive, great to look at, lovely to sit in, and just as practical and hard-working as any other Transit. If the mileage figures and running costs work for your company, you won't do much better than opting for the e-Transit Custom as your latest workhorse vehicle, because it's a fantastic electric van. No, scratch that; it's just a fantastic van, full stop.
