Ford Transit Custom PHEV Review 2024

Ford was the first manufacturer to bring a Plug-in Hybrid mid-size van to market and it remains unique in its sector for the second generation, based on the 2024-onward Ford Transit Custom. Now significantly developed with a larger engine and bigger battery, it’s a very different van, but is the Ford Transit Custom PHEV right for you? Read our comprehensive Ford Transit PHEV review to find out.

It was back in 2018 when Ford first introduced a plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Transit Custom but things have come a very long way in a short time, meaning the latest version is  substantially different under the bonnet.

Whereas the previous model used a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine alongside a 13.6kWh battery, the latest Ford Transit Custom PHEV offers a lot more. The 1.0-litre engine has been replaced by a 2.5-litre unit, with a smaller but more efficient 11.8kWh battery pack that can be charged far more quickly – under four hours for a full top-up on a domestic supply. The combined WLTP fuel economy figure is 171.6mpg, but this doesn’t really apply to longer distance work. Regardless, it’s an efficient van, especially in urban applications.

Also improved over the older model is towing capacity, which has gone from nil to an impressive 2,300kg. As electric and plug-in vehicles evolve, they get better with each generation, and on paper this generation of Ford Transit Custom PHEV is an impressive piece of kit.

Visually, it differs little from the diesel models – the only real giveaway being a discreet charging port in the bumper.

Total payload is 1,088kg (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 – and all are offered with 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 lighting.

At the business end, the Ford Transit Custom PHEV does everything its diesel and electric counterparts do with a flexible load bay, the battery pack having no impact on cargo volume as it’s mounted below the floor.

It offers 5.8 cubic metres of usable cargo space in L1 form and an extra cubic metre in the longer L2 layout, with a 1,400mm load aperture for the back door and 1,932mm of load sapce 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 matches the Ford e-Transit Custom at 1,088kg (1,077kg in L2 format), but remains behind the 1,384kg capacity of the diesel models. It will now also two up to 2300kg as a braked trailer, which is something its predecessor couldn’t.

Up front, the cab is ergonomically well thought-out and spacious, with plenty of storage and cubby areas and functional, chunky controls. The climate control settings are fiddly when operated via the touch screen, but everything else is simple and functional, while it also benefits from a walk-through cab, meaning drivers don’t have to alight into traffic..

As with other versions of the Ford Transit Custom, there’s also a clever optional tilting steering wheel, which comes with a clip-on table so it can be used as a laptop or snack/coffee surface when stationary. It’s just one of many ways where Ford has thought about those who use its vans on a daily basis…

Charging takes just under four hours using a 7.4kW wallbox charger, which will give you an electric range of about 40 miles.

First and foremost, the Ford Transit Custom PHEV is a great van to drive, not least because it’s based on what’s already the class leader.

It’s sure-footed and rewarding to drive with great handling laden or unladen and is a really effortless van to spend time in, even in its most basic trim levels.

In electric mode, it feels quick off the mark, while selectable drive modes mean you can preserve electric power for later and drive using just the petrol engine, allowing you to maximise the efficiency and optimise the emissions savings of the electric motor, rather than use up all of your battery on the motorway where it’s least efficient.  

The engine is a new 2.5-litre unit with 227PS, substantially larger and livelier than the old 1.0 EcoBoost and operating under far less stress. It’s noisier, though, and combined with the CVT automatic transmission fitted to the Ford Transit Custom PHEV, it does make its presence known under hard acceleration, though it isn’t massively intrusive at the point it kicks in, with no jerkiness or sudden noise when it kicks in.  

Otherwise, the controls are light and intuitive, with smooth and easy progress round town and sharp, precise steering, along with excellent all-round visibility aided by a camera-fed rear-view mirror which works well in traffic but is of no real benefit when parking as it makes objects appear too close – you’re better off relying on your mirrors.

Safety kit is very good throughout - all trims 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.

Like all models in the Ford Transit Custom range, then, the plug-in hybrid model is a brilliant, well-thought-out van that does everything extremely well. It’s also unique in the market – a great option for small businesses that operate in urban environments with the occasional need to venture further afield. A niche, maybe, but one that the Ford Transit Custom PHEV serves in the finest of manners.