Ford E-Transit review

In the world of vans, this new Ford E-Transit is as big a piece of news as it's possible to get. 

You see, the Ford Transit is an icon. It's the model that defined its segment, and has been used by builders, bakers and bank robbers alike for so long that, for many people, it's what they picture when you say the word "van".

The fact that Ford is now making the Transit available as an electric van is nothing short of seismic. So, what's it all about? Well, the conversion from diesel-powered icon to electric trendsetter has not been a simple one, and certainly isn’t as straightforward as swapping the engine and gearbox for a motor and batteries.

The electrical and mechanical elements of the E-Transit have had to be made specifically for the model, and include a completely different rear axle and suspension set-up to the one in the diesel Transit. Then, of course, the motor, batteries and electrical architecture had to be fitted.

Ford isn't the first manufacturer to go down the electric route with their vans, though. The Renault Master E-Tech has been electrified for several years, while the more recent Mercedes eSprinter has been finding homes among its large proportion of fleet admirers. There's also the smaller Ford E-Transit Custom.

The Master E-Tech and eSprinter are direct competitors to the E-Transit, but as you will find out, they are limited in their approach. The Maxus eDeliver 9 – the successor to the cheap and cheerful LDV EV80 – presents a more convincing line-up, but can it match the sheer popularity of the Ford?

Read on to find out how the Ford E-Transit compares with the best electric vans...

Read more: How we test vans

By now, most people know that electric vehicles can be quick, but surely an electric van isn’t going to be setting any land speed records. Well, don't count on that, because the Ford E-Transit is the most powerful van on the market.

The top-rated version has a massive 261bhp available, and there’s also a less powerful 181bhp model. Both will be far quicker than any large van you’re likely to have driven, and the E-Transit is instantly fast and effortless in the way it builds speed. Indeed, fleet managers will have to really trust their drivers not to floor the accelerator pedal at every opportunity.

All that power does help make it quick when running with a full payload and will also be useful for towing. Its range should prove handy, too, with official figures suggesting that up to 196 miles between charges is possible.

The batteries are beneath the chassis and hang down below the vehicle in a reinforced box. This lowers the centre of gravity compared with the diesel Ford Transit and its rivals, which mostly house the batteries between the chassis rails. As a result, the E-Transit clings to the road like few other vans.

All that low-down weight makes it ride smoothly too, but the E-Transit also has new coil-sprung rear suspension rather than more traditional leaf springs. The result is not only a quieter van (with the noisy motor part in the rear well away from the driver) but also a better handling and riding van.

Regenerative braking, a mainstay of electric vehicles, is done in two ways in the E-Transit. You can set it for a high level of braking by using the L mode button on the dash, or choose a two-stage method controlled by taps on the brake pedal – the first touch gives you a medium amount of braking, but if you press again, the braking force increases to the high level.

There are three different driving modes available, Normal, Eco and Slippery, so you can choose to have power and acceleration limited to preserve the battery charge or match the road conditions.

The Ford Transit has always had a large and spacious interior with a generous amount of storage. The E-Transit is no different in this regard, but there is a very obvious and important change in the electric van version.

Its centrepiece is a 12in infotainment touchscreen borrowed from the Ford Mustang Mach-E. It uses the Ford SYNC 4 system and gives you infotainment and navigation, as well as access to a new range of connected features through the FordPass Connect online service. SYNC 4 will also get regular over-the-air wireless software updates, keeping the van and its systems up-to-date.

Like the regular Transit, there are a few cubbies dotted around for your odds and ends (although we wish there were a few more) and enough soft-touch plastics to keep things from looking too drab.

Ford is known for giving you plenty of choice in car and van ranges, and the Transit line-up is the pinnacle of diversity, with variations and permutations running into the thousands.

The E-Transit range isn’t quite so varied, but with 25 different models that include short, medium and long-wheelbase vans, and more specialist chassis and double cab versions, there is still more choice in the electric Transit range than in any of its rivals. The one that comes closest is the Maxus eDeliver 9, with its choice of wheelbases, and panel van and chassis versions.

The E-Transit is available as a 3.5-tonne, 3.9-tonne or 4.25-tonne van and has two roof heights. The maximum load volume available is 15.1m³ and its maximum payload carrying ability is 1,758kg.

It's based on the rear-wheel-drive version of the Transit, and the most obvious downside is that the floor of the load bay is particularly high. This could be off-putting for the sort of multi-delivery users who are most likely to be the early adopters of the E-Transit – namely courier fleets.

The Ford e-Transit will cost you less to buy than the rival Mercedes eSprinter and is about on a par with the Renault Master E-Tech.

In terms of safety kit, the model's introduction has given Ford a good opportunity to bring in some much-needed changes to help it keep pace with its competitors.

The most notable improvement to the Ford Transit tech is the upgrade to the Reverse Brake Assist, which uses a camera and sensors to detect pedestrians, cyclists and static objects when reversing. Drivers will get a warning and the van will stop automatically if they don't react.

Another new feature is the 360-degree camera, which gives the driver a bird's eye view of the surrounding area on the 12in touchscreen.

All the systems, the infotainment screen and the expensive battery and motor do come at a cost, but if you look at the wider landscape of electric vans, the E-Transit is exceptionally good value for money. As well as having a lower starting price than the eSprinter, it has a more usable battery and considerably more power.

So what about charging? Well, the E-Transit is capable of charging from 15-80% of battery capacity in just 34 minutes if you can find a fast enough charger. In contrast, a standard charge from a 11.3kW wall-box charger will take eight hours.

Two trim options are available, Base and Trend. Entry-level Base vans get Electronic Air Temperature Control, keyless start, heated seats, a Quickclear windscreen and heated power mirrors. Trend adds sat-nav, cruise control, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, as well as lane-departure warning, lane-keeping aid, and front and rear parking distance sensors.

Fleet buyers also need to look into Ford Pro, the new wraparound service that provides everything from finance and advice on the best chargers to install, all the way through to live monitoring of vehicles, including using telematics to spot potential mechanical issues, order parts and arrange for fixes to be made. It's free for a year and then available via a subscription, and is so successful at preventing issues that Ford's data suggests it has saved around 15% of downtime for its monitored fleet to date.

The basic Ford warranty covers three years and 60,000 miles, as well as an additional 100,000 miles of cover for the electric components including the battery. When you factor in all that, the E-Transit gives you more choice, more power and more range than rivals, while undercutting them when it comes to cost as well.

For all the latest van reviews, news, advice, and videos visit our dedicated van section here