Ford E-Transit range, price, specs, and release plans for the electric cargo van
The electric version of Ford's wildly popular commercial van has entered production.
With scant exceptions, the electric car is a consumer product. Sure, the occasional Tesla is used as a taxi and the Mustang Mach-E was the first EV to pass the Michigan State Police’s extensive vehicle testing regimen. But the vast majority of electric vehicles in the US are used by regular consumers to move people and stuff around.
That’s all about to change.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is coming later this year and Ford is making a big push for businesses to start going electric. But perhaps even more important is the new Ford E-Transit commercial van, which just started production at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant.
I tested it recently in California, where the E-Transit is part of a pilot program between Ford and a number of Sonoma County winegrowers. The Transit is one of the most successful commercial vehicles ever, used for last-mile package delivery, as a mobile locksmith, and by plumbers, electricians, and countless trades as a mobile office/cargo van/versatile-everything-hauler.
You’ll be seeing them on the roads soon, but you probably won’t even notice unless you look really closely. The E-Transit is nearly indistinguishable from the regular Transit, except for subtle badging and a door on the grille that hides the charge port.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Ford E-Transit.
This story is developing and this report will be updated as more information becomes available.
The Ford Transit is one of the world’s most popular and successful commercial vehicles.
When will the Ford E-Transit be released?
Production of the Ford E-Transit began in January 2022 and the first deliveries are expected in February.
What’s the Ford E-Transit price?
Prices vary widely depending on configuration, but the cheapest E-Transit cargo van is $48,880. Other options, including cutaway and chassis cab versions, are slightly less expensive.
In general, an E-Transit is $8-$10,000 more expensive than a comparable internal combustion engine Transit. That’s somewhat offset by a $7,500 federal tax credit, but the longer-term benefits of electric vehicles — lower maintenance and fuel costs, as well as increased vehicle uptime — improve the return of investment significantly.
Ford Pro consultants can help businesses analyze their current vehicle use and make recommendations on what vehicles would benefit most from electrification, and assist with determining potential cost savings of adopting EVs.
What’s the Ford E-Transit’s range?
This is a complicated question. There are three different E-Transit van heights and three different lengths to contend with, and the aerodynamic profile of the taller vans means it has a lower range.
On top of that, the EPA doesn’t actually rate commercial vehicles like the E-Transit for fuel economy, so Ford is making its own estimates using the same EPA methodology as light passenger vehicles do so the numbers should be (roughly) comparable to all the other EVs on the market.
The low roofline E-Transit rates 126 miles of range in both regular and long lengths, while the medium roof van scores 116 miles. The high-roofed E-Transit makes 108 miles in both long and extended versions.
The high-roofed, extended body version — nicknamed the “jumbo” model — is the most popular Transit configuration, making up 33 percent of orders including all 1,100 vans ordered by Walmart.
The low-roofed model is popular in the telecom industry where many workers take their Transit vans home at night, as it can fit in most residential garages.
Ford says this range covers the daily use needs of a significant percentage of Transit users but acknowledges that it won’t work for many customers. This range was chosen as a balance between business driving needs and keeping vehicle prices reasonable. Expect a future E-Transit with a larger battery pack and more range.
All E-Transit models have 68 kWh of usable battery storage.
The E-Transit comes in three roof heights, three cargo box lengths, and a chassis-cab version.
What is the Ford E-Transit charging time?
At a DC fast charging station, the E-Transit is capable of peak charging at 115 kW. Its onboard charger supports Level 2 charging at up to 10.5 kW.
That means a 115+ kW DC fast charger can fill the van’s 68 kWh usable battery from 15-80 percent in 34 minutes. On a slower (but more common) 50 kW fast charger, it would take 65 minutes.
A 48-amp Level 2 charger can fill the E-Transit from 0 to 100 percent in 8 hours, while a 30-amp charger can do it in roughly 12 hours. Regardless of charging method, the E-Transit should easily recharge to full while parked overnight.
Is the Ford E-Transit a 4x4?
No, the E-Transit is rear-drive only.
What’s the Ford E-Transit’s horsepower and torque?
The Ford E-Transit has a single electric motor driving the rear wheels with peak power of 198 kW or 266 HP. It makes peak torque of 317 lb-ft.
The Ford E-Transit has a 68kWh (usable) battery.
What is the Ford E-Transit’s towing and payload?
Max payload changes depending on configuration, but the regular-length, low-roof E-Transit has a maximum payload of 3,880 lbs. The extended-length, high-roof E-Transit has a payload rating of 3,330 lbs.
The E-Transit also has an independent rear suspension to accommodate the rear-mounted electric motor.
What’s the Ford E-Transit’s top speed?
Being a safety-focused cargo van, Ford doesn’t talk about the top speed of the E-Transit, but acceleration and speed limiters are optional extras to help improve range and driver safety.
Is the Ford E-Transit self-driving?
It is not, but it does include a number of standard driver-assist safety features:
- Pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking
- Lane-keeping assist
- Road edge detection
- Driver drowsiness detection
- Post impact braking
- Hill start assist
- Automatic high beams
Other optional safety features are available as well, including:
- Speed sign recognition with navigation
- Adaptive cruise control
- Blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert
- Front/rear/side parking aid
The E-Transit has a charge port conveniently located at the front of the vehicle, behind a small door underneath the blue Ford oval.
What fleet, telematics, and connectivity features are available on the Ford E-Transit?
Ford E-Transit fleet customers receive 3 years of access to Ford E-Telematics Essentials, including online monitoring of battery range, state of charge, and energy consumption.
Other features include scheduled vehicle preconditioning so vehicle interiors and batteries can be set to the appropriate temperature while the truck is still connected to shore power, improving overall range; central billing for charging at public stations, and automated billing and invoicing to reimburse employees who have take-home vehicles charged at their homes.
All Ford E-Transit models include standard 4G LTE modems and data connectivity, and other telematics features give fleet managers live tracking of vehicles with geofencing notifications, maintenance alerts, service reminders, and driver behavior notifications including for severe acceleration and braking events, as well as speeding and crash notifications.
How can I pre-order the Ford E-Transit?
More information on Ford’s fleet program is available on the Ford Pro website.
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