IVOTY Driving Report Ford Transit Custom: It All Started with the Electric Vehicle
In the beginning, there was the BEV – and yet, the fully electric variant of the completely new Ford Transit Custom, the best-selling van in all classes in Europe, is not coming first, but last, after Diesel and PHEV, in the summer of 2024. Environmentally conscious city logistics operators will therefore have to be patient. The setup of an electric motor at the rear (100 and 160 kW), a 64 kWh battery, a 125 kW DC charger, an 11 kW AC charger, and a range of 337 kilometers could suffice for most trades and applications. The towing capacity of 2.3 tonnes is also competitive with the Diesel version (2.5-2.8 tons). A heat pump is standard, and a Pro-Power outlet for external consumers is also available.
Anyone currently on the verge of purchasing in the booming compact van class and does not require long-distance, fast, or heavy-duty applications might want to wait if they prefer a Ford – and not a Stellantis van, Maxus eDeliver3/7, Mercedes eVito, or Renault Trafic E-Tech. This makes it clear: The competition has not been idle, and there was an urgent need for Ford to take action. It was also clear that a "multi-energy platform" (Ford’s direct quote) is necessary, just as Stellantis has demonstrated with its compact van. Ford is taking it a step further by adding a part-time electric option in the form of a plug-in hybrid between the Diesel and the full electric versions, utilizing technology from the popular Kuga PHEV (2.5 l Atkinson gasoline engine, 11.8 kWh battery, 56 km EV range, 3.7 kW AC charger).
There’s a Question Mark over the PHEV
After the sensible removal of the subsidy in Germany, we wouldn't predict much of a future for the PHEV anymore. Technologically, it was always a dead end that never paid off for the environment. However, there is a customer base that is not yet ready for pure e-mobility, says Ford Pro Europe Chief Hans Schep. They mostly drive electrically in everyday life but occasionally need long-distance suitability. The technically related Kuga PHEV here scratches the 600 km mark but then combines high electricity consumption with high gasoline consumption (ADAC 27 kWh/100 km & 7.4 l/100 km).
Real long-distance drivers would prefer an honest diesel, which is based on the well-known 2.0-liter EcoBlue engine and, combined with the aerodynamics improved by 13 percent of the new edition now under two meters in height, is supposed to run up to six percent more economically. On our first tour of 110 kilometers of highway, country road, and city, we achieved a 7.0 l/100 km on the onboard computer. The next day, on a pure highway drive over 85 kilometers, it was 8.2 l/100 km. Not sensational, but a respectable Ford step. With a 55-liter tank, this already suffices for almost 800 kilometers on the range display. A 70-liter tank option then opens up for truly distant nonstop rides.
High Range as a Plus for Diesel
This is clearly the greatest strength of diesel compared to electric vehicles. It should be added, however, that very few commercial users need such ranges. Statistics show that 80 percent drive under 200 kilometers per day. And with a fast charger, a half-hour break is enough to bring the BEV's battery from 10 to 80 percent. Ford people advertise that you gain an 82-kilometer range in ten minutes.
Future music for now. The diesel with 150 hp (optionally 110, 136, and 170 hp, 310/360/390 Nm) gets the possible up to 1,327 kg payload of the 3.2-ton L1 going well, but conventionally and with the usual clattering and knocking over the front wheels (or optionally all-wheel drive) if not stalled because the clutch snaps pretty quickly. It pulls well from low revs, with the usual accompaniment of vibrations and humming. At partial load, it behaves quite decently as usual but remains audibly present, and even at a highway speed of 120 km/h, the diesel does not completely fade into the background.
Manual Transmission Almost Forgotten
And this, although the first series vehicles of the Custom at least still exhibited considerable wind noise directly at the doors and mirrors. Some fine-tuning might still be required here. An electric vehicle is definitely quieter and feels like the future, and the whole diesel fuss is almost forgotten... In the electric vehicle, the shift console is obsolete, with the six gears in the still popular manual transmission (for cost reasons) at least sorting butter-softly. Optionally, an 8-speed automatic takes over in the combustion engine.
The handling and overall feel of the vehicle were meant to become more “car-like,” which can be considered successful. Due to the necessity of accommodating rear-wheel drive for the BEV, the engineers were left with only independent rear suspension. This ensures significantly smoother rolling and damping of the previously somewhat harsh transporter. Together with a smooth 30 percent increase in body rigidity, a compact, nimble, and quite smooth driving experience is created; the agility is hardly inferior to that of a larger car. Although the light steering could convey a bit more feel for the road.
Modern Equipment: Happily Keyless
The brake responds very sharply, and the transition from the gas pedal is rather difficult because the brake pedal is slightly recessed and not on the same level. The electronic parking brake is contemporary, though you have to search for it and will find it in the middle. The keyless start is also modern, although the start button is not very intuitively placed on the frame of the infotainment system.
Speaking of levels: the engineers placed importance on a level floor in the cabin, which is also noticeably lower. This makes it easy to get in and move through the cabin, despite the gear shift box. However, the driver and passenger doors could open a bit wider. Additionally, you no longer sit as high as a truck driver but rather more like in a van. There's good space overall, with decent materials that offer an appealing look for a commercial vehicle. The seats are somewhat soft and shapeless, but the storage compartments are sensible and smart.
If you like to keep your phone or tablet in view, you can install an AMPS console holder in the cockpit. Otherwise, the smartphone disappears deep into a slot in the center console, which can at least be optionally equipped with an inductive charging pad and USB ports. Anyway, the Custom, equipped with a 5G modem, allows wireless connection via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Smart Storage Compartments, Foldable Steering Wheel
Smart is the long upper glove compartment, made possible by relocating the passenger airbag to the roof, which safely stores a laptop, for example. And if the middle foldable seat with a small table isn't enough, you can utilize the fully tiltable steering wheel, which can also transform into a table with an attachment. Unfortunately, the too-softly padded, Ford-marketing-dubbed "Squircle" steering wheel is rectangular as a result, not exactly a pleasure to hold.
On the other hand, the standard 13-inch Sync4 infotainment system is better integrated, providing precise real-time navigation during our drives, including a traffic jam bypass through Liège, and delivers all sorts of graphics and information. Instead of a traditional speedometer, there's now a 12-inch display, which unfortunately has somewhat muddy resolution but provides all the information. Whether digital speed reading is quicker than analog remains debatable. You can always rely on Alexa, as Amazon's voice assistant system is also standard on board.
Lowered: Under two meters in height
The lowering of the Transit to 1.97 meters obviously has its advantages in the cargo area: it is now accessed a good ten centimeters lower, making it easier, and the space efficiency has grown as well. The volume ranges from 5.8 to 9.0 cubic meters, varying across two wheelbases and different versions like panel van, double-cab-in-van, multicab (L-shaped cargo area with two rear seats) or kombi, and the more luxurious Tourneo. The extended wheelbase also contributes its part here. Optionally, a through-loading allows for cargo up to 3.05 meters long instead of 2.39 meters. However, the overall length has also increased to 5.05 meters, and the width to a substantial 2.03 meters without the well-sized mirrors. To balance this, the Custom has slimmed down: it is said to be up to 100 kilos lighter, with the lightest version weighing 1,780 kilos, which in turn benefits the payload.
Through the updatable 5G connection, all Ford Pro telematics services are said to be available. Above all, preventive maintenance is expected to drastically reduce vehicle "downtime." Already today, the Ford Liive vehicle condition monitoring has reduced 300,000 downtime days in Europe in 2022, or by 60 percent, according to LCV chief Schep who promotes the concept.
Of course, there is a vehicle-related app that allows drivers to monitor their vehicle and key data such as fuel consumption, oil level, tire pressure, or brake pad wear. The fleet telematics can do even more, recording driving style, vehicle location, or theft attempts. The manufacturer also ensures connectivity for body manufacturers: the so-called Upfit Integration System is designed to facilitate the retrofitting and seamless digital integration of additional equipment such as lights or refrigeration units into the infotainment system.
Exit Warning against dooring accidents
Ford takes a broader view of driver assistance. For the first time, there is a very useful "Exit Warning," which uses LEDs in the mirrors to warn of approaching cyclists or cars, and of course, the emergency brake can recognize cyclists or pedestrians. The Custom is intended to be "city-friendly." State-of-the-art and standard features include a responsive active lane-keeping assist, an intelligent cruise control with traffic sign recognition, and rear parking aid. The Custom reaches a semi-autonomous level with also reliably calibrated adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring including lane-change alert, cross-traffic alert with emergency brake, and a 360-degree rearview camera.
A very practical assistance is coming in summer 2024: Delivery Assist is a freely programmable bundle of functions that, for instance, automatically closes windows and the driver’s door, activates the hazard lights, opens the (optionally electric) sliding door, and so on... Upon return, keyless entry and start is possible. Overall, officials claim it can save 20 seconds per stop. The new van package is rounded off by a contemporary 40,000 km interval over two years, allowing customers to work efficiently with the Custom Diesel, even if it is (still) not an electric vehicle.
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