Ford’s Aussie electric charge starts with E-Transit

FORD will take another step toward global carbon neutrality when its full-size, all-electric E-Transit launches in Australia midway through next year.

The Ford E-Transit will be the first of five new electrified models the brand says it will deliver by the end of 2024, the all-electric commercial van promising a range of 317km (WLTP), or what Ford says is 2.5 times the distance an average commercial van travels each day.

Powered by a 68kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the E-Transit offers fast-charging capability from 15 to 80 per cent in “around 34 minutes” or up to 100 per cent charge in 8.2 hours from the onboard 11.3kWh charger.

Ford Australia says its electrification roadmaps will include many of the company’s existing nameplates, while also introducing new models to “diversify and broaden” its local range.

While it is understood most of these models will be battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants will form part of the mix, the delayed Escape PHEV among them and now due in Australia within the next six months.

Peak outputs of 198kW/430Nm make the rear-wheel drive E-Transit the most powerful variant in the Australian Transit range – and the most powerful production model in the model’s 56-year production history.

Four driving modes will offer range improvements of up to 10 per cent, Ford says, while scheduled pre-conditioning allows the climate control to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin to a desired temperature while the vehicle is on charge.

In terms of size, the E-Transit is identical to diesel-powered versions of the Transit 350L rear-wheel drive and offers matching cargo capacities of 11.3 and 12.4 cubic metres in medium and high-roof iterations respectively.

Load area dimensions have also been preserved to so that fit-outs can be easily transplanted from combustion-powered versions to the E-Transit.

Gross vehicle mass (GVM) is rated at 4200kg with a total payload capacity of 1616kg – the latter at least 445kg superior to the diesel equivalent.

“We are accelerating our electrified future in Australia,” said Ford Australia and New Zealand president and CEO, Andrew Birkic.

“We are anticipating the needs of each type of customer and brining the best of our global line-up to meet those requirements. For business customers, the E-Transit delivers the durability and capability they need to serve their customers, along with zero-emissions efficiency.”

Ford says its engineers designed the E-Transit’s driveline and rear suspension to optimise cargo space, locating the battery pack beneath the body and creating a heavy-duty semi-trailing arm suspension arrangement to provide confident steering, traction, and handling in both laden and unladen conditions.

The Ford E-Transit will be covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre service package and eight-year/160,000km battery and high-voltage component warranty.

Full model specification and pricing details for the Ford E-Transit will be announced closer to the model’s Australian market launch.