Ford e-Transit Custom Review 2024

Ford has taken an interesting approach with the launch of the new Ford e-Transit Custom, focusing on the needs and requirements of small businesses rather than large fleets – customers that it believes are core to the wholesale adoption of electric vans. So, does that mean it’s the right electric van for you? Read our Ford e-Transit review to find out.

Before getting into the nitty gritty, the first thing to consider is why Ford is bucking the trend played out by rivals such as Stellantis Group, where models such as the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric and Peugeot e-Expert have a very clear fleet focus.

Indeed, as well as with the van itself, the company is hoping to entice small business users with an incentivised connected Ford Pro Home Charger, which it will install, maintain and guarantee with a five-year warranty.

To help reduce energy costs, Ford Pro charging software enables users to schedule charging to maximise the use of off-peak energy tariffs, aimed at users who charge their vans using a domestic supply.

The Ford e-Transit Custom is an appealing proposition and that’s before the more obvious elements are considered, namely its sharp looks, neat cabin and practical design. There are reasons why the diesel Ford Transit Custom is the UK’s best-seller and they’re not all related to fleet contracts. In short, it’s a great van.

Visually, it differs little from the piston-powered version – the only real giveaways being a blanked-off grille, discreet charging port in the bumper and e-Transit badging to the rear.

Unlike the volume versions of the diesel model, which are front-wheel-drive, the Ford e-Transit Custom feeds its power to the rear wheels via an electric motor with a choice of three power outputs – 135 or 217PS in the two volume trims and 285PS in the Ford e-Transit MS-RT reviewed separately. All use the same 64kWh battery pack, offering a maximum of 209 miles of range on the WLTP combined cycle.

Total payload is 1088kg (239kg less than the diesel models) and there is a choice of body options - regular panel van, double-cab with six passenger seats, a Kombi with up to eight seats or a Multicab with a two-seat second row and staggered bulkhead, allowing longer loads on one side.

There are also two wheelbases: standard L1 or extended L2, though at present only one roof height is sold – H1, which is just under two metres tall and will fit in most domestic garages.

There are three trim levels – Trend, Limited and Sport – but no base model, again a reflection of Ford’s focus on smaller business and individual users as opposed to large fleets. The Trend gets a 13-inch touchscreen with Ford’s SYNC 4 software, a rear-view camera, air-con and an onboard power take-off set-up that allows the van to double up as 2.3kW generator for items such as power tools or scene lighting.

Next up is the Limited, with 16-inch alloys and electric heated seats along with surround view cameras. The Sport, meanwhile, gets beefier alloys and some styling tweaks.

There’s no faulting the Ford e-Transit Custom’s functionality – the model has always been one of the best in its class for load flexibility and although it may not have the largest volume in its class, it’s clearly a practical and well-engineered vehicle.

The Ford E-Transit Custom offers 5.8 cubic metres of cargo space in L1 form and an extra cubic metre in L2 layout, with a 1400mm load aperture for the back door and 1932mm of space between the arches. A passenger side side-loading door with hands-free functionality (on all but Trend trim) is standard, with a second side loading door on the options list.

Overall payload is good for an electric van at 1088kg (1054kg in Sport trim), but remains behind the 1,384kg capacity of the diesel version. It’s still enough for most, though, and generally good for an electric van overall.

Up front, the cab is well designed and spacious, with plenty of storage and cubby areas and functional controls. The climate control functions are fiddly when operated via the touch screen, but everything else is simple and functional, while it also has a recessed dash and walk-through layout with a flat floor, saving drivers from having to alight into traffic.

A tiny gripe is the quality of the door trims – they feel hard wearing, but a hard plastic grille with a Bang&Olufsen speaker label seems an awkward juxtaposition on the higher trim levels.

One clever feature is the optional tilting steering wheel, which comes with a clip-on table so it can be used as a laptop or eating surface when stationary. Until you use it, you don’t realise how useful it is…

Also impressive is its towing capacity – electric vans are still a way off matching the towing capacity of heavier duty vehicles, but a 2300kg towing capability is plenty enough for most and right at the top of its class.

Charging is generally in-line with rivals in terms of time spent – using a 7.4kW wallbox charger you’ll get a full charge in just under eight hours, while 125kW rapid charging will get you from 10-80% charge in about 40 minutes.

Already impressive in diesel form, the Ford e-Transit Custom is arguably even better in electric format, the extra weight of the batteries and transference of power to the rear axle making it more of a, dare we say, driver’s van.

Daft as that sounds, it’s as sure-footed and rewarding to drive as a performance car of yore – the chassis as well-balanced as any Ford passenger car, and that’s something the Blue Oval has excelled at for over 30 years now. The ride quality is decent, too.

Even in its most modest power output, the Ford e-Transit Custom feels quick off the mark, while selectable drive modes mean you can get an extra power boost when you need it or preserve battery life when not required.

Both power outputs provide the same 415Nm of instant torque, though the initial throttle response is a little over-sharp. Regenerative braking is less intrusive than in some rivals, which is a good thing in terms of driver comfort.

Controls are light and intuitive, with smooth progress round town and precise steering, along with good all-round visibility aided by a camera-fed rear-view mirror which, like similar systems from Stellantis, is functional in traffic but of no real benefit when parking as it makes objects appear too close.

Safety kit is impressive across the board. All get pre-collision assist, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, road sign recognition, wrong way alert, a reversing camera and parking sensors, along with a speed limit warning which you can override with a steering wheel button.

Overall, it’s a very easy van to drive and get along with, as well as one that can be genuinely entertaining when it needs to be.

The Ford e-Transit Custom isn’t without its flaws but they’re so trivial that they can be easily overlooked, while Ford’s small business-focused approach is hugely commendable in a van market where fleets always seem to come first.