The commercial vehicle landscape is undergoing rapid transformation. Driven by new environmental regulations, the escalating cost of fossil fuels and increasingly restricted access to city centres, electric vehicles are gaining prominence across various segments. The light commercial vehicle (LCV) sector is no exception.
Ford has significantly expanded its electric LCV lineup, with the introduction of the E-Transit Custom and E-Tourneo Custom in 2024 targeting the Medium Electric Van and Combi segments. These vehicles boast an impressive battery range, faster charging times, and enhanced capabilities to meet the demands of commercial operations. But how do these vehicles stack up against the competition? In the following sections, we will delve deeper into the pros and cons of these new vans.
Advantages
- Battery: E-Transit Custom and E-Tourneo Custom both offer a substantial 64 kWh and 82.5 kWh battery capacities. While some higher-spec variants of Maxus and Vito Tourer may offer slightly larger battery packs, the E-Transit Custom generally boasts the most capacity in its class.
- Charging: Both models can be charged using both alternating current (11 kW AC) and direct current (125 kW DC) – the DC charge in particular is one of the fastest offerings on the market at the moment (outclassed only by VW’s ID Buzz) and standard on all versions. The DC charger can charge from 10% to 80% in just 39 minutes, while the AC charger allows for home recharging in 7.2 hours.
- Engines: Ford has equipped its cars with a broad range of engines: 136HP, 218HP and 286HP (this output is only available for the MS-RT sport trim) – Ford offers the most powerful and the broadest range of engines in the Medium Van segment to date.
- Safety Features: Like all the other manufacturers, the new Ford range of Medium EV vehicles has added all the required GSR2 safety features to its new lineup, those include:
- Forward Collision Warning with Active Emergency Breaking (AEB)
- Active Lane Keep Assistant
- Intelligent Speed Assistant with Cruise Control and Traffic Sign Recognition
- Driver Attention Assist
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
In addition, all models from the most basic trim onwards offer rear and front radars, together with a rear camera.
- Multimedia Features: All E-Transit Custom and E-Tourneo Custom models are equipped with a 13’’ infotainment system with phone integration, wireless replication and an 8’’ digital instrument cluster. This is a much better offering than the majority of Ford’s competition where the screen sizes rarely go up to 10’’ (ID Buzz and Vito) and often stop at as little as 5’’ as standard (most Stellantis brands). The digital instrument cluster is also an new touch for this segment, only otherwise present as standard in VW and some Stellantis brands.
- More Safety and Comfort Features: Both models are equipped with automatic air-conditioning from the most basic trim onwards. This is also a big advantage over other brands. Automatic air-conditioning is not standard even on the higher trims for most Stellantis brands as well as Renault or Mercedes. In addition, both models include electric parking brake and heated windscreen as standard on all trims.
- Trims: Both E-Transit Custom and E-Tourneo Custom offer a wide variety of trims, 4 trims for E-Transit Custom and 5 for E-Tourneo Custom, depending on the country where they are offered. In addition to that, E-Transit Custom is available as van, crew cab and people mover.
Disadvantages
- Price: Of course, these features come at a significant cost. Depending on the country and the offer of the competition there, even the most basic trim of Ford can be expected to cost anywhere from 5,000 € to 10,000 € more in terms of recommended retail price than the most basic trim of Stellantis brands or Renault. It is still comparable to VW and Mercedes in terms of prices, though, while still offering quite a lot even for the most basic of trims.
| Country / Model | Starting Price (excl. VAT) |
| France E-Transit Custom | €46330 |
| UK E-Transit Custom | £43380 |
| Germany E-Transit Custom | €48700 |
| France E-Tourneo Custom | €53820 |
| UK E-Tourneo Custom | £45385 |
| Germany E-Tourneo Custom | €56150 |
- E-Transit Custom airbags: While other brands offer more safety for the passengers, Ford does not include passenger airbags as standard for its basic trim.
- Payload capacity: Due to the weight of the battery, payload capacity is lower than some diesel competitors, which could be a limitation for certain types of cargo. This is also true for the competitors and the EV segment in general.
- Battery size vs. range: While, as was mentioned before, Ford offers one of the biggest batteries among its competitors, that does not always go with the biggest range.
| Ford | Renault | Mercedes | VW | Peugeot | Maxus | Toyota | |
| Max. Battery size (kWh) | 82.5 | 52 | 90 | 86 | 75 | 88 | 75 |
| Range, combined (km)* | 327 | 297 | 371 | 485 | 352 | 370 | 352 |
Ford E-Transit Custom and E-Tourneo Custom are interesting additions to the Medium Van and Combi market. With advanced electric drivetrains, comprehensive connectivity features, and a focus on ergonomic design, these vehicles are strongly positioned, especially for those who are looking to have a lot of equipment included as standard, that would have normally been only available as options, though everything comes at a price.
Overall, Ford E-Transit Custom and E-Tourneo Custom mark a significant step forward in Ford’s electric vehicle strategy, combining practicality and zero-emission technology in a package that should appeal to both commercial and private users.
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