Ford Transit joins PSA, Renault rivals in switch to electric vans

Ford Motor's battery-powered version of its Transit full-sized van will compete in Europe against rival vans from PSA Group, Fiat and Mercedes-Benz as more automakers pivot to electric to meet increasingly tough emissions targets for light commercial vehicles.

The E-Transit will offer van buyers an alternative to diesel vehicles in cities looking to restrict entry to internal combustion vehicles.

The van's 265 hp output and 430 newton-meters of torque will make it the most powerful full-electric van sold in Europe, Ford said in a statement.

The E-Transit targets an estimated WLTP driving range of up to 350 km (217 miles) – about three times the distance the average European fleet driver covers daily, Ford said. The van is expected to have a range of up to 203 km (126 miles) under U.S. testing procedures.

The E-Transit will be built alongside combustion engine Transit models in Ford's plant in Turkey for European production, while North American production will be at the Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missour

European sales will start in spring 2022.

The Transit will use the same 68 kilowatt-hour battery pack as used in the upcoming Mach E electric performance SUV, which uses cells supplied by LG Chem from its battery plant in Poland.

The electric motor will come from the U.S. and the battery pack will be assembled in Turkey, Ford said. The van was developed at Ford's Dunton facility near London, England.

Only one battery size will be offered, contrasting with the strategy of PSA Group, which offers a 50 kWh pack and a 75 kWh pack on the Citroen e-Jumpy, Peugeot e-Expert and Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro-e, all of which are a class smaller than the Transit.

The three PSA vans are rated to reach 330 km on the WLTP cycle.

Ford said that despite its larger size and smaller battery capacity, the E-Transit would be able to achieve 349 km on a single charge.

"We are confident it's a realistic WLTP range," Helmut Reder, Ford of Europe's commercial vehicle program director, said on a webcast on Thursday.

The E-Transit will have the same dimensions as the regular Transit and offer a similar payload capacity of up to 1,616 kg (3,562 pounds), despite the extra weight of the batteries.

Ford ensured payload would not be reduced by increasing the standard gross vehicle mass up to 4,250 kg.

The automaker also said the van would be offered with a range of body lengths, roof heights and gross vehicle weight options, giving a choice of 25 in total. A chassis cab version without a rear body will also be offered to van convertors.

The Transit's standard rear leaf-spring suspension has been swapped out for independent suspension set up to better incorporate the underfloor battery pack without encroaching into the load space.

The vehicle's front suspension has also been toughened to cope with the extra weight. "We have made very significant changes to the chassis and the platform," Reder said.

Customers will be able to option a 2.3 kW Pro Power onboard mobile generator which gives an alternative power source to replace a mobile generator.

Ford has not revealed prices for the van, which is expected to be substantially more expensive than the standard diesel model, which costs 26,725 pounds ($35,110), excluding VAT, in the UK, Ford's largest European market.

The Citroen e-Jumpy 75 kWh, in comparison, costs from 42,380 pounds ($55,692) in the UK, excluding VAT, almost double the cheapest diesel equivalent.

Ford said the E-Transit will start from about $46,000 in the U.S., including shipping.

Ford says operators will make savings from reduced servicing costs, which it claims could be 40 percent lower than a standard diesel model.

Charging the van is via either a standard 11.3 kW on-board charger or a 115 kW fast-charging option.

Using the latter will top-up the battery from 15 percent to 80 percent in around 34 minutes, Ford said.

The E-Transit will offer customers connectivity options such as telematics services to help fleets monitor parameters such as the usage and battery life of the vans. It could also enable a geo-fencing feature, which could alert fleet managers if vans go outside a certain area.

The FordPass Connect modem will offer over-the-air updates, while Ford's Sync infotainment technology would be accessed via a 12-inch touchscreen.

Driver assist technology will include adaptive cruise control, lane change assist and a 360-degree parking camera.

The large Transit is not part of Ford's commercial vehicle partnership with Volkswagen, which covers compact vans equivalent to VW's Caddy, a midsize van equivalent to Ford's Transit Custom, and also a pickup to replace both the Ford Ranger and VW Amarok.

Ford and VW are "still exploring opportunities with VW," Reder said on the webcast, including possibly collaborating on a new large van.