2024 Ford E-Transit Custom could bring $70K price shock

The 2024 Ford E-Transit Custom could become a sales dark horse in Australia’s emerging commercial EV market when the all-new battery-electric delivery van arrives in local dealerships in late 2024.

But a lot rides on pricing for the all-electric version of Ford’s all-new Transit Custom van, and that’s something that won’t be known for months.

To be offered initially only in long-wheelbase guise (diesel-powered Transit Customs will come in short- or long-wheelbase guises), the E-Transit Custom will be one of the early EV arrivals in the popular mid-size van segment.

While the Transit Custom will sell from $56,590 plus on-road costs with a diesel engine (plus $1000 more for the LWB version), the E-Transit Custom will cost a lot more than that.

The question is how much more?

Australian pricing for the larger Ford E-Transit van (minus the Custom moniker) was initially announced at a whopping $104,990 plus ORCs, representing a huge premium over regular diesel versions of the large van.

But in yet another major recent price readjustment, Ford slashed $15,000 from the E-Transit’s price tag, which is indicative of a market not prepared to pay big price premiums for electric drivetrains.

So you can expect something sharper in terms of price relativity between diesel and electric with the E-Transit Custom – and a good place to start for a guide is the UK, where the E-Transit Custom commands a circa-15 per cent price premium over the regular Transit Custom.

That suggests a price tag hovering around $70,000 could be on the cards for the E-Transit Custom in Australia.

Describing the E-Transit Custom as “super important” for the imminent new Transit Custom line-up, Ford Australia general manager of fleet, Christine Wagner, said the timing is perfect for electric vans.

“The commercial market… [is] seeking more sustainable alternatives and this segment is ripe for the use of EV technology,” she said.

“So the opportunity for a large fleet customer to take on an E-Transit Custom and see how that operates… is invaluable.”

Wagner said the push to reduce emissions would make EV vans more appealing in future.

“There are a lot of fleets and a lot of small businesses that want to add a sustainable ethos and are prepared to invest,” said Wagner, adding that the sub-2.0m height of the E-Transit was appealing to those who need to access public carparks.

“It will have a lot of appeal because of its size, because of the ability to access public charging infrastructure,” she said.

While service intervals haven’t been confirmed for Australia yet, the prospects of Europe’s two-year, unlimited-km service schedule for the E-Transit Custom makes it tempting for businesses that cover big distances.

“Anything that reduces the overall operating cost and the cost of ownership is an important piece,” said Wagner, adding that commercial vehicles “have to be on the road” for businesses to make money.

Ford hasn’t yet announced local specifications for the E-Transit Custom, other than to say we’ll see 160kW/415Nm outputs from a single electric motor driving the rear wheels.

Overseas, Ford also offers a 100kW version and a 210kW version, the latter reserved for range-topping MS-RT versions fitted with a sports body kit.

In each instance the powertrain hardware is identical – from battery packs to the electric motor – and the differences come down to software.

It’s all about efficiency, with the different variants providing different claimed driving ranges.

The 100kW is the most efficient, so can travel furthest on a charge. A 64kWh battery provides up to 337km of WLTP range and AC charging can be done at up to 11kW for a full charge in about six hours.

Using the more common 7.4kW wallbox would take about 9.5 hours for a full charge, while charging at a public DC fast-charger can be done at up to 125kW, for a 10-80 per cent charge in about 39 minutes.

In Europe, the E-Transit Custom will also be offered with an optional Pro Power Onboard system, which provides up to 2.3kW of electricity for external devices via a standard powerpoint, but this is yet to be confirmed for Australia.

Whereas the E-Transit has a slightly higher floor to accommodate the battery beneath the floor, the load space in the E-Transit Custom is the same 6.8 cubic metres as the regular Transit Custom, or 9.9 cubic metres in high-roof guise.

The payload of the E-Transit Custom is up to 1011kg, which is a couple of hundred kilograms less than diesel versions of the same van.

The E-Transit Custom can also tow up to 2300kg – 200kg less than the regular Transit Custom.

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