The new Ford E-Transit has beaten the Mustang Mach-E as the first all-electric vehicle to go on sale in Ford Australia EV dealerships across the country.
Two E-Transit models will be available, the long-wheelbase 420L BEV Mid Roof and 420L BEV High Roof, with deliveries expected to start in the coming weeks.
Both E-Transits are powered by an 198kW/430Nm electric motor, the highest power and torque outputs of the Transit range yet. It is paired with a single-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels of the van.
The electric motor is powered by a 68-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The battery is located beneath the load floor in a sealed structure with side-impact protection as standard.
Driving Range
The 68-kWh battery is designed to provide ample energy to power the E-Transit with sufficient range to meet the daily requirements of businesses operating in urban environments. It also has the additional capacity to account for variations in vehicle load and weather conditions.
As with all electric vehicles, actual driving range varies with conditions such as external elements – including temperature, driving behaviours, route profile, vehicle maintenance, and lithium-ion battery age and condition.
| Driving Range | 420L BEV LWB RWD – Mid Roof | 420L BEV LWB RWD – High Roof |
| Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) Overall Range (Kilometres)2 | 230-307 | 222-295 |
Charging
A grille-mounted charge socket makes charging easy and E-Transit comes equipped with a Mode 3, 32-amp Charge Cable as standard.
Flexible charging options allow customers to either AC charge overnight in approximately 8 hours or quick DC Charge Top Up (15% to 80% at 115 kW) in approximately 34 minutes, giving commercial customers the confidence to complete day-to-day operations.
| Charging Summary | 68 kWh Electric Motor |
| On-Board Charger (AC) | 11.3 kW |
| Fast Charging Capacity (DC) | 115 kW |
| Charging Cable | Mode 3 (Type 2, 32A) |
| AC Charging Time (3 Phase At 11 kW) 0-100%3 | 8.2 hours |
| DC Fast Charging Time (At 115 kW) 15-80%3 | 34 minutes |
The E-Transit also features regenerative braking, generating energy from electricity ordinarily lost with coasting or light braking. The recovered energy is then stored in the traction battery to maximise range.
This lift-off regeneration is always active but optimised in ‘Low’ mode accessed via the rotary e-shifter.
Drive Modes
The E-Transit’s three drive modes are tailored to its electric powertrain, and are available via the 12’’ SYNC 4Touchscreen or via a dedicated button on the centre console:
- Eco Mode: is tuned to maximise driving range and aims to improve energy use by between 8 and 10 per cent if E-Transit is driven unladen, or at highway speeds, by limiting the maximum speed, regulating acceleration, and optimising climate control.
- Normal Mode: is the default drive mode for the vehicle and is tuned for everyday driving, balance, and comfort.
- Slippery Mode: improves vehicle traction in low-grip road conditions.
Independent Rear Suspension
The rear suspension of the E-Transit has been re-designed to maximise carrying capacity and improve performance.
Specifically, E-Transit features an extremely compact heavy-duty semi-trailing arm suspension system that enables better steering precision and more confident handling, plus better traction in both laden and unladen conditions.
The compact nature of the suspension also allows for an uncompromised cargo capacity of up to a maximum load space of 11 cubic metres in mid-roof specification and 12.4 cubic metres for the high-roof version, both of which are identical to the Transit 350L RWD diesel equivalents. Gross vehicle mass of up to 4.25 tonnes is offered, with a payload of up to 1,611kg on the mid roof van and 1,566 kg for the high roof van.
Cargo Capacity and Weights
Cargo capacity is essential for all Transit customers and E-Transit’s vehicle architecture has been designed with that in mind.
By locating the vehicle battery under the load floor, the E-Transit engineering team ensured the cargo volume was uncompromised, matching the load space of the diesel equivalent, the Transit 350L.
Capacity offered is a maximum load space of 11 cubic metres on the mid-roof and 12.4 cubic metres on the highroof with a payload of 1,611 kg for the 420L BEV mid-roof and 1,566 kg for the 420L BEV high roof model.
Because the load area on the E-Transit is largely the same as conventionally powered Transits, many load area conversions will carry over to E-Transit with minimal modifications, making it easy to adopt an E-Transit into a business fleet.
Also, with the battery pack located where it is, this gives the E-Transit a low centre of gravity. Combined with its rear-wheel drive and compact coil sprung rear suspension, it has excellent traction and stability in both laden and unladen conditions.
| 420L BEV LWB RWD | 420L BEV LWB RWD – High Roof | |
| Load Space Maximum (cubic metres)5 Single Side Load Door (with Bulkhead)6 | 11m3 | 12.4m3 |
| Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) – kg | 4250 | 4250 |
| Maximum Payload – kg | 1611 | 1566 |
| Kerb Weight – kg | 2639 | 2684 |
Technology
The entire Transit range features Ford’s SYNC 4 system and E-Transit is no exception. With twice the computing speed of SYNC 3, enhanced voice control and delivered via an intuitive 12-inch wipe-clean, glare-resistant touchscreen, E-Transit’s SYNC 4 system also includes:
- Wireless Smartphone Integration: connects to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto without a USB cable.
- Connected Built-In Satellite Navigation: provides the most efficient route, live updates on traffic and parking, available charging points (that can be filtered by charging efficiency), and even the latest weather updates.
- Scheduled Pre-Conditioning (heating and cooling): is designed to help maximise run time when vehicles are charging, allowing drivers to bring the vehicle cabin to a desired temperature while still plugged in, helping preserve battery charge for use on the road. This capability is available via the ‘Departure and Comfort’ selection accessed through the ‘Features’ menu in the SYNC 4 screen.
- Digital Owner’s Manual: allowing customers to search for vehicle information on demand using the touchscreen.
Warranty
The E-Transit will be covered by Ford’s five-year, unlimited km Express New Vehicle Warranty which sits alongside the eight-year or 160,000 km (whichever occurs first) warranty package for the battery and high-voltage electric components.
Price and Servicing
The Ford E-Transit is available now, priced from $104,990* (MLP), and can be purchased exclusively through a Ford EV Dealer. A more spacious ‘high-roof’ body can be optioned for $1500*. The E-Transit has 12 month / 30,000 km service intervals (whichever comes first).
Options (MLP)
| E-Transit 420L LWB RWD Van AT | |
| Prestige Paint17 | $700 |
| Special Vehicle Options (SVO) Paint17 | $1,400 |
| Single Front Passenger Seat (in lieu of Dual Front)17 | $150 |
| Doors – Dual Side Load Doors (Left and Right Side)17 | $1,000 |
| High Roof 17 | $1,500 |
