Ford Pro launches E-Transit Custom - Emission zones provide tailwind

Ford Pro launches the new E-Transit Custom as repeatedly announced and sees tailwinds for the model through numerous low-emission zones in Europe. The introduction comes at an important time, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. According to an upcoming report from the Centre for Economics and Business Research, the share of EVs in new registrations of transporters in the key markets has more than quintupled between 2018 and 2023. The report also describes the growing number of environmental zones, which now exceed 350 and cover more than 80 million people, including all the capitals in the EU.

Against this backdrop, the completely newly developed mid-size model is intended to score points, with a practical range of 337 kilometers. Thanks to a moderately sized battery with a capacity of 64 kWh, whose energy is apparently efficiently used by an optionally 100 or 160 kW rear-axle-mounted synchronous motor (always 415 Nm), there remains a payload of 1,011 kilograms. Additionally, the vehicle has a towing capacity of 2.3 tons and is thus supposed to offer diesel parity in terms of use scenarios. Furthermore, the vehicle features a 125-kW DC charger, with which the E-Van is supposed to be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 39 minutes, with 82 kilometers of range replenished in 10 minutes. A complete charge on AC power then takes 6.7 hours. To support this, the manufacturer presents an integrated home charging solution for businesses, which includes the installation of a connected wall box, management software, and maintenance, and will be introduced in the key European markets.

Standard Heat Pump

The E-Transit Custom is the first electric vehicle to standardly employ a new and reportedly more efficient heat pump technology with steam injection for heating and cooling the interior. Regenerative braking enables one-pedal driving, making city driving more comfortable and increasing efficiency. As with the E-Transit, the E-Custom also offers a 2.3-kW connection for external consumers. The manufacturer promises 40 percent lower maintenance costs for the model and equips the E-Van with an unlimited maintenance interval as well as a 160,000-kilometer warranty for all high-voltage components.

The standard equipment includes a 13-inch touchscreen that is angled towards the driver and features Sync4 infotainment. Additionally, there is connectivity via a 5G modem and Alexa voice assistant, enabling functions such as making calls and shopping directly on Amazon.com. More than 30 individual modules of the E-Transit Custom can receive over-the-air software updates, which are intended to progressively improve the vehicle's performance, update functions, or add new ones. Most updates are expected to be completed in less than two minutes and can be scheduled to avoid downtime.