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First look at Ford’s emission-busting, game-changing E-Transit ■ By Matt Lawrence, Motoring Correspondent

over the old order of commercial vehicles. As the saying goes, those in glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones. Equally, those in green- houses should probably avoid cramming 20 year-old emis- sions-spewing panel vans into hopelessly congested city streets. Hence, gridlocked cities around the world from London to Los Angeles are pledging to create emission-free zones, reduce greenhouse gas levels and lower noise pollution – something that’s sent commercial vehicle manufac- tures simultaneously scrambling for the plug socket. In Europe, Ford, amongst others, has been piloting electrified com- mercial vehicle technology since 2018. This painstaking process has involved a great deal of num- ber-crunching across the conti- nent to study the habits of drivers who use its currently available plug-In hybrid vans – in particular the Transit Custom PHEV. With a plethora of data now at its disposal, from average mileage to charging habits, the Blue Oval has finally taken the logical next step from hybrid to zero-emis- sions commercial vehicles. In the all-new E-Transit, the American juggernaut is confident that its painstaking research and develop- ment process has paid off. So let’s kick off by answering the burning question; what’s it got in the way of range? The answer; a quite sensational 217 miles on the combined WLTP cycle from its 67kWh battery pack. After some head-banging with fleet managers from big-name brands, Ford is con- fident that the E-Transit’s impres- sive stamina should provide more

than enough mileage for the aver- age European driver to make not one but three days of deliveries before requiring a recharge. What’s all the more impressive is that recently-released rivals such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Sprinter simply pale in comparison when pitted against the Transit EV. The Merc, with its 96-mile maximum range, simply can’t hold a candle – or LED – to the newcomer. As well as longevity, the E-Transit packs an adequately hefty punch. Indeed, its 265bhp peak output and 317lb-ft torque are set to make it no less than the most powerful fully electric cargo van in Europe. As with almost every EV out there, be it commercially or pri- vately owned, the E-Transit will come fully equipped with various drive modes. The most frugal of these is Eco Mode which, when triggered, limits top speed, regu- lates acceleration and optimises climate control to help squeeze every last yard out of the already enviable driving range. Plugging in and charging up need not be a hassle with the new E-Transit, largely thanks to its com- patibility with both AC charging and DC fast-charging. On board, the load-hauler carries its own 11.3kW charger, good for a full recharge from an AC socket in just over eight hours. Meanwhile, top- ping up on the go via one of the UK’s fast-proliferating roadside DC fast-chargers can replenish the van’s waning battery from 15 per cent to 80 per cent in little more than half an hour. Perhaps more than any other sector of the industry, vans live and die by their respective

payloads and cargo space. This presents EVs with a quandary; namely how to jam in a hefty and rather cumbersome battery pack without robbing the vehicle of precious load space. Impressively, much head-scratching on the part of the e-Transit´s design team has enabled it to retain the same 15.1 cubic meters of cargo space as its rear-wheel-drive diesel counter- part, largely by cramming the bat- tery in under the van’s body. Ford rates the zero-emission Transit panel van’s maximum payload at 1,616kg, while chassis cab models hike that figure up to 1,967kg. In all, 25 E-Transit con- figurations will be available, each with a panoply of length, height and cab layout options. Talking of the cab, you’ll find your travelling workplace pretty well-appointed, with Ford’s latest SYNC 4 infotainment system making its debut on one of its commercial vehicles. This mirrors the setup of Ford’s latest road cars, from the Puma to the new Focus, featuring the familiar 12-inch touchscreen with enhanced voice recognition and available cloud-enhanced navigation. Quite literally a mobile power pack, the Transit EV can even be deployed to pump up to 2.3kW into electric power tools and other essential jobsite equipment. Additionally, fleet custom- ers, a very significant slice of the E-Transit’s target market, will be able to keep tabs on their charges via the latest evolution of Ford Pass Connect. This uses a van-based modem to keep every member of the fleet connected to a central hub for maximum effi- ciency, particularly crucial for firms

with dozens of vehicles on the go at any one time. Fleet managers can also set sen- sible vehicle speed limits based on data collected by each E-Transit’s in-built Traffic Sign Recognition and Intelligent Speed Assist, which together identify speed restric- tions in any given area. On the safety front, the newest member of the illustrious Transit dynasty gets Pre-Collision Assist, Blind Spot Information with Lane Change Warning as well as a 360- degree camera and Reverse Brake Assist. European customers will benefit from a one-year, unlimited mile- age service, over and above the Transit’s eight-year, 100,000 mile warranty package for the battery and other high-voltage electric components. We dearly hope you’re not in a rush to throw on the work boots and overalls and climb aboard Ford’s frankly game-changing new van. That’s because first deliveries are set to reach UK customers in early 2022 – yes, roughly thirteen months from now. Sure, it’s a long wait, and the way 2020 has gone, who knows what kind of world the E-Transit will roll into when it finally does put tyre to tarmac here in the UK. Nevertheless, Ford’s $11.5 bil- lion drive to electrify even more of its range over the next year or so means there’s plenty to tide us over until then. In particular, there’s the debut of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E here in Europe to look forward to, as well as the first fully electric incarnation of that serial gas-guzzler, the F-150 pickup, across the pond. ■

ALL-ELECTRIC van boasts 217 miles of zero-emis- sions range and as much load space as its diesel counterpart, arrives in 2022. If there’s one thing that retail- ers have learned from 2020, it’s that mobility is paramount. For merchants, vendors and traders of all descriptions, home deliv- ery has gone from being a luxury optional service to an absolute basic necessity. Now, no one is suggesting that the next time you peer out, bleary- eyed, from the cosy gloom of your lockdown refuge, the entire high street will have been transformed into one big Amazon fulfilment warehouse. Nevertheless, the days of moseying off down the town in search of bread, milk and toilet rolls had already looked increas- ingly numbered even before the onset of this current global kafuffle. So, with consumer mobility diminishing with every stifled sneeze, vendors are increasingly bringing their wares to us. In the coming years, there’s a fair chance that your weekly van- load of bog roll will be whisked to you by a new species of Ford Transit; the E-Transit. This all-new, fully-electric ver- sion of the UK’s go-to van makes its entrance on the back of a per- fect storm of changes to the retail and motoring world. Besides the fundamental shifts in retail habits brought about by 2020, the lingering spectre of the environmental elephant in the room has long been trampling

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