Not convinced by the current crop of mid-sized EV vans? You might be by this one, Ford's E-Transit Custom. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Background

Could this be the most significant road test you'll view all year? Quite possibly. This is after all the very first all-electric version of Britain's best selling vehicle of any kind. Welcome to Ford's E-Transit Custom. If you're not convinced by the current crop of mid-sized EV vans, we think you might be by this one The significance of this model is difficult to over-state. There are more Ford Transits - and particularly Ford Transit Customs - on the road than any other van. Imagine the environmental impact of a growing proportion of them switching away from smoky diesel power, a change which starts right here and now with this battery-powered LCV. Unlike the larger '2 tonne'-series E-Transit model that we've already tried and quite liked, this E-Transit Custom isn't Ford's own work but the product of a shared project with LCV partner Volkswagen. The fruit of which has also been a mechanically identical EV version of the current generation Volkswagen Transporter. Ford also produces an E-Tourneo Custom passenger carrying MPV version of this model. But it's the E-Transit Custom panel van that's our focus here.

Driving Experience

The 136PS E-Transit Custom variant most will choose is capable of up to 204 miles between charges - which about matches the class standard, but no more. Inevitably, that figure takes a dive the more power you choose; the 218PS model manages up to 195 miles; and the top 285PS version can only manage 165 miles between charges. We've talked about the different power outputs you can have. Well they all share the same eager class-leading 415Nm torque figure, transmitted through the front wheels. There are five driving modes - 'Normal', 'Eco', 'Sport', 'Slippery' and 'Tow/Haul'. The power surge in 'Sport' is fun for a bit but you really don't need anything more than the restricted forward thrust of 'Eco' for regular day-to-day use. If you've driven a few of the latest mid-sized vans and you're taking the back road home in this one, it'll soon become clear that this is the best-handling van in the segment; body roll and traction are both top-notch for an LCV. But whether that'll be important enough to operators to pay the prices Ford is asking here is another question. They may be more interested to hear that this E-Transit Custom can tow up to 2.3-tonnes, considerably more than direct rivals. At a cruise, this LCV is wonderfully quiet, even for an EV. There's not quite as much steering feel as you might remember from the previous generation Transit Custom, but the helm's light feel makes this van very easy to drive in town, where the reasonably-tight turning circle is useful, 10.9m kerb-to-kerb in the L1 version or 12.1m in this L2. During urban driving, you'll notice that ride comfort is another thing about this Ford that's class-leading, which will be welcome across the pot holes and speed humps that are such a feature of city life these days. As for brake regen, well you can increase that with an 'L' button on the gear selector stalk; or there's a full '1-Pedal' setting in the centre screen menus that can very nearly bring the van to a standstill when you come off the throttle.

Design and Build

The E-Transit Custom gets its own unique front grille, which as on other variants is flanked by angular, slim LED headlamps which are topped by wrap-around daytime running lights. Ford talks about the 'rebalanced proportions' and 'confident stance' of this MK2 design, which become more obvious as you walk around it. Inside, the column-mounted shifter, electronic handbrake and 'squircle' steering wheel combine to help cross-cab access - a valuable feature for drivers who park in tight areas and want to avoid getting out into live traffic. Every E-Transit Custom is fitted with a 13inch landscape touchscreen angled towards the driver for ease of use, equipped with Ford's advanced SYNC 4 communication and infotainment system powered by a 5G modem for superfast connectivity to the Ford Pro tech stack. Ford has also introduced a segment-first roof-mounted airbag that enables dashboard storage large enough to take a laptop or A4 file. The brand's designers went to such lengths when considering how owners would use this Transit Custom that even the grains on materials used in the cabin and load area are designed to use textures that avoid trapping dirt and water, giving the best balance between offering a firm footing for wet or muddy boots and enabling heavy items to be slid in and out easily.  As van drivers often occupy the cabin alone, the heating and ventilation system has a new 'Driver Focus Mode' option that uses sensors to direct airflow only to occupied seats. An intelligent windscreen monitors temperature and humidity, and automatically makes small heat and airflow changes to proactively keep the windscreen clear for improved efficiency and ease of use. 

Market and Model

At the time of this review in Summer 2025, Ford was requiring you to put aside around £46,000 ex VAT as a price starting point for the E-Transit Custom in this panel van form. But that's before subtraction of the government's £5,000 Plug-in Van grant, so most customers will probably end up paying somewhere in the £40,000-£45,000 bracket once all's said and done. Which is about the same as Ford wants for the alternative PHEV Plug-in Hybrid version of this model. For reference, the next model up in the Transit line-up, the much larger E-Transit '2-tonne' model, was priced from around £63,000 as we compiled this review. We're focusing on the E-Transit Custom in its most usual panel van form here, but you can also get it in three other body styles; the Multicab (which gives you an innovative L-shaped bulkhead with two extra rear seats and doors each side); the Double Cab-in-Van (basically a crew van with a full-sized extra rear seating row); or the Kombi (which can carry up to eight passengers). And on the subject of passengers, there's also a more luxurious MPV version, the E-Tourneo Custom, which can also carry eight and, at the time of this review, was priced from around £61,000 including VAT. All E-Transit Custom models use the same 65kWh battery and this Ford is available in its volume 136PS motor form with either 'Trend' or plusher 'Limited' spec. Find just over £1,500 more with that 'Limited' spec and you can get the gutsier 218PS motor - which you have to have with the more eye-catchingly-trimmed 'Sport' model we tried - by which time you'll be spending just over £50,000 (ex-VAT and before grant deduction - at the time of filming). If you simply must have the ultimate E-Transit Custom, there's a top 'MS-RT' variant with 285PS, but that really is expensive, priced as we filmed at just over £62,000, ex VAT before grant deduction. As with all the brand's LCVs, the E-Transit Custom is being sold by 'Ford Pro', the Blue Oval brand's commercial vehicle division and there's a choice of short or long wheelbase body shapes.

Practicalities and Costs

There are two body lengths (L1 and this L2) and two roof heights (the H1 version or H2). The door aperture height is 1,314mm on the H1 version and 1,814mm on H2 variants. Right, what about the cargo area? Well the L1 panel van body shape offers a maximum load length of 2,602mm. The L2 variant extends that to 3,002mm. With the load-through bulkhead in use that's standard on most models (though absent here), that load length figure's extended to 3,050mm with the L1 and 3,450mm with the L2. On all variants, the cargo area width is 1,777mm, narrowing to 1,392mm between the wheel arches. Unlike with most other vans in this segment, if the conventional H1 roof height isn't enough, you can also specify a taller roof height - H2. That means a cargo volume that can be anywhere between 5.8m3 and 9.0m3 depending on your body shape of choice. This being an EV, you might worry that potential payload will fall over the diesel version; actually, the maximum gross payload of 1,056kg is only351kg down on the best you'll get from an EcoBlue diesel variant. You can take up to 170kg on the roof. A class-leadingly wide side load door aperture enhances loading, and an integrated access step makes climbing up to the load compartment easier. The E-Transit Custom supports DC fast charging up to 125kW for a 15-80 per cent recharge in 41 minutes. A clever charge profile front-loads the energy to enable quick, useful top-ups; and the system delivers almost 24 miles of range in just 5 minutes using a 125kW DC charger. As for AC battery replenishment, well the E-Transit Custom's 11kW AC three-phase onboard charger is capable of fully recharging the battery in 7.8 hours, so customers will be able recharge overnight after a shift. AC charging via a 7.4kW wallbox obviously takes much longer - around 10 hours from empty to full.

Summary

The E-Transit Custom represents the next generation of mid-sized full-electric vans and as such, makes most of its more familiar competitors look distinctly out of date. A little disappointingly, there aren't huge gains in EV driving range compared to the class norm, but this Ford drives a whole lot better than its rivals and also delivers whole series of clever ideas that will make running an LCV of this kind easier. We particularly like the 'Ford Pro Charging' software to help with scheduling cheaper charging, the tilting steering wheel, the clever 'Delivery Assist' feature, the 'Power on Board' work tools-powering package and the Multicab version's unusual 'L-Shaped Bulkhead' design. Given the continuing wave of demand for vans of this size, fuelled by the British public's insatiable desire for home delivery, for sales success this Ford probably didn't need to be as good as it's ended up being. But impressive it is, the only potential issue being pricing - which could make some operators think twice and which will need to be alleviated by competitive finance rates. If we were considering an electrified Transit Custom, we'd also want to take into account that this model comes in a PHEV Plug-in Hybrid form - a model that on longer journeys won't leave you at the mercy of the UK's currently rather flaky public charging network. But if a full-EV mid-sized van it has to be, then right now, this one's the standard-setter in its class.