Volkswagen e-Transporter Review 2025

The Volkswagen e-Transporter is the company’s first mid-sized electric van and one of the fruits of a relationship with Ford that has seen the two companies develop their latest van side-by-side. But is the Volkswagen the one for you? Read our full Volkswagen e-Transporter review to find out.

Introduced in mid-2025, the new Volkswagen e-Transporter is pretty much identical to the Ford E-Transit Custom. That’s certainly not a bad thing as that is one of the best electric vans on the market. Helped by the fact it was designed from the off to run with on electric power as well as diesel - unlike many other European rivals.

Styling-wise, the Volkswagen has a new front that’s arguably bolder in its styling than the Ford – with a rounded, dolphinesque nose that the company tells us is inspired by the original VW Type 2 ‘Bulli’. Windscreen backwards, though, there’s little to choose between the two.

It’s has the same overall body shape and cargo dimensions as the Ford Transit Custom. That means it's slightly larger than rivals such as the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric and Renault Trafic E-Tech, both of which feel dated by comparison.

The VW e-Transporter has a 65kWh battery with a choice of two power outputs, either 136PS and 218PS. Gross vehicle weights are 2800kg or 3200kg, with payloads of 1009kg and 1280kg respectively.

A ‘Kombi’ double cab version is also an option and there’s a maximum braked trailer weight of 2800kg, although this will certainly take its toll on the range. Talking of range, the 136PS model has a range of around 200 miles while the more powerful model will cover 190 miles. According to official figures anyway. Don't expect to get near that in real world driving. 

There are three trim levels - Commerce, Commerce Plus and Commerce Pro - but all come well equipped.

Standard kit includes a 13-inch touchscreen, remote locking and the now usual driver assistance systems, which thankfully can be easily turned off. Key extras on the Commerce Plus are the body coloured trim, heated seats, parking sensors and a reversing camera, plus a leatherette multifunction steering wheel. 

The Volkswagen e-Transporter Commerce Pro expands adds air conditioning, adaptive cruise control, LED light signatures, multiple USB outlets, alloy wheels and electric folding mirrors.

Step into the cabin of the VW e-Transporter and you'll find a completely flat floor along with a dash moulding that gives the middle seat passenger better legroom than in previous VW Transporters. Much of it is familiar from the Ford Transit Custom – notably the big door bins and dual glove boxes - but VW’s digital cockpit is bespoke and cabin comfort is among the most impressive there is.

In addition, all Volkswagen e-Transporters have an enhanced five-year warranty and inclusive servicing plan included, up to 124,000 miles. The Ford e-Transit Custom gets a standard 5-year/100,000-mile warranty. Like the Ford, the VW e-Transporter has an 8 year 100,000 miles EV battery warranty.

Prices start at £38,220 OTR excluding VAT but including the Plug-In Vehicle Grant deduction. That's a touch less than the Ford e-Transit Custom which starts at £38,630.

Overall, the Volkswagen e-Transporter is an appealing package – that premium Volkswagen image will no doubt appeal to small business users over the more mainstream Ford branding, especially as it's cheaper.

That said, some of the Ford PRO aftersales support and app-based services may well give useful benefits to small or medium businesses. It’s clever stuff, so it’s worth being doubly sure before you commit to the Volkswagen.

Nevertheless, the Volkswagen e-Transporter is inarguably one of the best electric vans on the market, with a great image, impressive comfort and masses to recommend it.

We genuinely believe that the only van that can match the Volkswagen e-Transporter for its driver appeal is the Ford E-Transit Custom, but then that’s hardly surprising given that, mechanically, they’re pretty much identical.

Just as with its sibling, the VW e-Transporter has sharp steering and pleasingly car-like handling. It also has fantastic ride quality – it may be a commercial vehicle, but the Volkswagen e-Transporter deals with rough road surfaces like a well-engineered family car.

The VW e-Transporter is a lively thing around town, with the instant torque and near-silent running of its EV motor making for refined yet rapid progress – it’s easy to forget you’re in a commercial vehicle. The more powerful 218PS version can cover 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds. You’ll need to drive in Eco mode and stick to urban routes to get anywhere near the WLTP range of 190 miles, though.

The 136PS model is understandably less eager, but it never feels out of its depth. The top speed is capped at 70mph, though – which isn’t necessarily an issue, as that is of course as fast as you can legally drive a van in the UK anyway. And even that’s on a motorway.

It feels stable at higher speeds or on rough road surfaces while it's refined and civilised when cruising. It's also easy to manoeuvre in town and genuinely entertaining if you decide to push it a bit.

Fully laden, it doesn’t feel much different dynamically – an adaptive damper system has been engineered to adapt to the payload and load position.

Visibility is great. The mirrors are bigger than before, with usefully larger secondary blind-spot mirrors that give a much-improved view of the areas where you may encounter a cyclist or vulnerable pedestrian, for example.

It’s not the quietest electric van we’ve driven, though. The motor is nowhere near as noisy as you’ll find on a Maxus eDeliver 3 but it’s certainly more intrusive than it is on vans such as the Vauxhall Vivaro Electric and Peugeot e-Expert when driving around town.

We would also like to see more adjustability in brake regenerations – most rivals have three or four settings to maximise or minimise regenerative braking, but the VW e-Transporter only has one – a B button on the gear selector, which is claimed to optimise regenerative braking. Given that we’ve seen much better range from rivals with maximum regen engaged, we’re not so sure.

Usefully, the charging port is located at the front, so it doesn’t get in the way of access to the load area. Peak DC rapid charging capacity is 125kW, which means a 10-80% charge should take just under 40 minutes. A full charge from a 7.4kW home wall box charger will be around eight and a half hours.

The Volkswagen e-Transporter’s cab is both functional and pleasant, with a well thought-out layout. It’s comfortable and there are plenty of storage areas, along with chunky controls.

Our only real gripe is that the air conditioning and heater controls are operated by sliders on the touchscreen which are unnecessarily fiddly.

The 12-inch digital cockpit is impressive with clearly laid-out dials plus there's a smart and simple-to-navigate 13-inch touchscreen. The USB-C, USB-A and 12v power sockets are useful, as is the optional 230v three-pin plug socket for power items such as laptops and low voltage power tools.

Furthermore, the driver assistance systems can be controlled – and lane-keeping function switched off quickly – via steering wheel buttons that are designed to be operated with gloves. 

We found it very comfortable to drive and were also impressed by the clever stowage area beneath the centre seat – ideal for stashing valuables if you park up to go and grab a cuppa or a sandwich. It also has a walk-through cab, so the driver doesn’t need to jump out into traffic.

The load bay is generous for its class, with the maximum width between the wheel housings increased by 148mm to 1392mm. The length of the load compartment in short wheelbase versions is 2602mm, increasing to 3002mm in the LWB. There's also a load-through bulkhead option if you need a little more than that. 

With the standard wheelbase and low roof the total load volume is 5.8 cubic metres, expanding to 9.0 cubic metres with a high roof and long wheelbase.

A passenger sliding door, big enough for a Euro pallet, is standard, with a second door offered as a cost option.

There are eight tie-down points and LED lighting in the roof edges - two lights in the Commerce and six in the Commerce Plus and Commerce Pro. A painted load floor is standard, but a rubberised, high-grip surface can be specified. At the back, there's a choice of twin barn doors that open to 90, 180 and 270 degrees, or a lift-up tailgate.