FLIGHT IN TRANSIT (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Ford's clever E-Transit is very fast and very frugal. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 37

Ford has re-imagined what a large full-battery van should be and come up with this, the E-Transit. If your business has been waiting for a large full-electric LCV that really adds up, that day may have arrived.

Backgroundword count: 95

To be absolutely honest, the properly large-sized full-electric vans we've had to date haven't been very good. The driving range and payloads have been disappointing and the prices high. Time for something better: time for this, the Ford E-Transit. The Blue Oval brand is the last of the major LCV market players to bring a large EV to market, but it's been worth waiting for. There's a motor from the Mustang Mach-E, a class-leading driving range, proper car-like coil-sprung suspension and a price which undercuts some rivals by up to £10,000 or more. Interested yet?

Driving Experienceword count: 234

A lot's gone on here. There's a choice of two motors, both derived from the one used in the Mustang Mach-E. The lower-powered unit offers 184PS: the higher one 269PS, massively more than any other van on sale. Also borrowed from the Mach-E is the 68kWh battery pack, which offers a combined range of 197 miles. The brand decided to put the drive motor at the back, which meant the need to completely redevelop the rear suspension. Out went the combustion model's leaf springs and live axle and in its place were added far more car-like coil springs and independent suspension. There's the usual single-speed EV auto transmission, which has a selectable 'L' setting for greater brake regeneration. There are also three driving modes - 'Normal', 'Eco' and 'Slippery'. And there's even an 'on-board driving coach', which takes the form of a percentage display on the centre screen but can also talk to you if it thinks you need instruction. It might conceivably tell you off for enjoying the instant acceleration too much (there's a potent 430Nm of torque). That's something you'll struggle not to do in that high powered version. Just as well then, that handling, always a Transit strong point, has been improved by the way that the battery pack beneath the load floor lowers the unloaded centre of gravity by about a foot. That'll help traction out of corners and roundabouts.

To see the full road test text contact us on 0330 0020 227