Ford Transit Custom PHEV: Delivery Van Goes Plug-In Hybrid!
We’ve all seen those ratty old white
delivery vans rattling through the traffic blowing diesel smoke out
of their hold exhaust. Well now Ford’s putting a
bit of a different spin on
the delivery van with the transit custom plugin hybrid.
So without further ado, here’s what you need to
know about the new Ford. The transit custom is Ford’s
Toyota High Ace Fighter, and until now it’s been a diesel, but now it’s embracing
electrification in a big way, adding not only plugin hybrid but pure
battery electric to its lineup as well. We’re going to focus on the PHEV here
because it’s the one with the most interest ahead of launch and it’s also
a fair bit cheaper than the EV and sort of within pricing site of the
diesel transit Custom. Not close, but you can still vaguely see
them down there somewhere. The new Ford Transit custom powertrain
joins the diesel that arrived some months ago.
This is a new platform, a new body, and a new set of features whether
you buy diesel, PHEV or ev. The trend is the long wheel base, cheaper version of the
custom transit and sport, which we’re testing here is the short
wheel base and a bit more expensive. So let’s start under the bonnet. And if you want to plug in
hybrid delivery van in Australia, then this is the one stop shop only. The Ford Transit custom
comes in this spec, which combines a 2.5 litre petrol engine
with an emoter driving the front wheels along with an 11.8 kilowatt hour battery. Now the EV range is claimed at 54
kilometres, which is in that longer, but the combined range is a lot longer
than that and certainly a lot longer than the 300 kilometres claimed by
the electric transit custom. So that’s where this vehicle has
a real advantage. Officially, the transit custom plugin claims
a 1.7 litres per 100 kilometres fuel consumption rate,
which is very theoretical. Most likely you’ll be using no fuel
while there’s battery charge and then averaging somewhere around five litres
per 100 kilometres once it starts running as a hybrid. Either
way, it’s a solid fuel saver. We’ll conduct further testing when we’ve
had more time with the custom transit and we’ll confirm real world
fuel consumption down the track. Jump inside the Turkish built transit
custom sport and there is a bit of luxury to it by van standards. We’re
not talking outright luxury here. You’ve still got hard surfaces
in this glove box lid. Well, it drops down quicker than a soccer
player drops to the ground really, but there are some comfort items here.
Dual zone climate control power seats. We’ve got some USB ports and so on, and there’s so much storage space in here.
You’ll never find enough crap to fill them all. In fact, look here, three seats are standard and fold this
down and you’ve got yet more storage. The retention of permanent buttons for
audio and aircon is appreciated as his shortcuts to driving modes and driver
assistance switches. Speaking of which, the transit custom comes
with a lot of safety gear, whether you buy trend or sport. Okay, so let’s head to the all important
box at the back. And as you can see, this one’s full. Now, whichever powertrain you choose
in the transit custom lineup, you get the same amount of space. However, if you opt for the plugin
or the electric versions, you are going to lose some payload and
you are going to lose some brake towing capacity compared to the diesel. Check this nifty feature out this metal
plate lifts and is secured by a magnet. So you can slide longer
items in here. Alternatively, you can access it just by
lifting the passenger seat. It becomes a handy hide hole. There are heaps of ways to personalise
your transit customer as well. Single or dual sliding doors, a barn door at the rear or lifting
tailgate and a two seat set up front. Soon there’s going to be a mobile office
with a folding steering wheel where you can set up a laptop. Okay, so time to hit the road
in the new Ford Transit custom PHEV. And you know what feels
pretty tight in here. All pretty cohesive. Mind you how it coached with
300,000 hard kilometres. We’ll find out in a few years time.
So what’s to like about it? Well, the transit custom is based on a new
platform and it includes a multilink rear suspension and that helps smooth
out the underlaid and ride, which is great news for
passengers. But having said that, we’ve only tested it on this
launch with 200 kilos added, and while it didn’t really impact the
right quality that you could notice or the performance for that matter, this
vehicle can take over a tonne. So we’re well short of testing
its maximum out. Right? Let’s talk about the hybrid
powertrain As an electric vehicle, this thing’s great for town, got
that instant step in acceleration, that’s great for traffic lights, roundabouts gaps in the traffic that
you’d need to dive for in congested situations. Speeds rides though,
but the EV then tends to tail off. So the hybrid then steps in to help out
when you’re running on the highway at higher speeds. And of course
if you’ve got longer runs, then you’re going to need
that petrol engine assistance. So EV for around town hybrid
when the road opens up. One thing about the hybrid is its
relationship with the ECVT transmission. It’s not quite as smooth as
when the vehicles are pure ev. Also, you’re going to notice
a fair bit of tyre roar. The tyres on this thing seem to have
an active dislike for course bitman, but sitting up here, you’re
right over the front wheels. The manoeuvrability is great.
Sub 11 metre turning circle, big windows to see out these big
mirrors with the convex view, that all works well overall. It’s
not bad. Fun playing postman, pat. Yep, there’s a lot to like here about
Australia’s first mid-size plugin hybrid delivery event, but we do
have some provisos. First off, you’ve got to keep charge up to the
battery to maximise your fuel savings and therefore money saved. Secondly, a bigger battery would’ve been great
to extend the EV range. Thirdly, DC fast charging would’ve been good
because that would’ve minimised turnaround times and kept the van rolling more
often and more money rolling into your business. And finally,
the upfront price. Yep, it’s a lot more than diesel and something
you just have to take into account. But as a step towards
electrification and a step away from smoky, dirty, noisy diesel vans, this is definitely a step
in the right direction. Thanks for watching. Please like and subscribe for more videos
and don’t forget to tell us what you think of this video in the comments below.
Ford is giving the humble delivery van an electric upgrade with the new Ford Transit Custom Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) — Australia’s first mid-size hybrid work van. In this review, we test the Transit Custom Sport, explore its EV range, fuel economy, performance, and real-world practicality, and see how it stacks up against the diesel and full electric versions.
Under the bonnet sits a 2.5-litre petrol engine, 11.8 kWh battery, and 54 km electric range, making it ideal for city deliveries and longer runs. Inside, there’s surprising comfort, smart tech, and loads of storage — all wrapped in a van that’s smooth, quiet, and ready for business.
We cover:
– Hybrid vs diesel vs EV Transit Custom
– Payload, towing, and cargo space
– Ride, handling, and driving experience
– Interior features and practicality
Is this the best hybrid delivery van in Australia? Watch to find out!
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