New Ford Transit City electric van is coming to deliver your parcels

Ford has revealed a new addition to its Transit line-up in the shape of the Ford Transit City, an all-electric, Chinese-built van that’s designed to fill a specific niche for an urban delivery vehicle with a no-nonsense spec and enough range to take on a day’s work around town.

Built in conjunction with Ford’s Chinese partner Jianling, the Transit City is based on a unique platform that isn’t shared with any other model in Ford’s European line-up, although a Jianling variant is already available in China. The Transit City features a 56kWh battery, and while that sounds small, Ford’s range target of around 160 miles should be enough for the kind of users that the company is targeting with its newcomer. According to Ford’s own data, the average daily distance covered by existing electric van users is less than 70 miles, so the Transit City should be more than capable of delivering in that regard.

Power comes from a 148bhp electric motor that drives the front wheels, while the overall look is clean, with a smooth front end and aerodynamic wheel trims. There will be three bodystyles on offer: an L1H1 panel van, a larger L2H2 variant plus a chassis cab, which is a first for a medium-sized Ford van. The latter will be targeted at municipal authorities and those needing a more flexible arrangement, and there will be tipper and Luton-style conversions available from existing suppliers.

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For the L1H1 van, there’s a payload of 1,085kg and floor space for three Euro pallets, while the L2H2 version can carry up to 1,275kg and has a cargo volume of 8.5 cubic metres with three metres of load length on offer. At the moment there are no plans to expand the line-up beyond the launch versions, so don’t expect a passenger or taxi variant any time soon.

Inside, the Transit City will come in a single trim level to keep things straightforward. It features a 12-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while keyless starting, air-conditioning, a heated driver’s seat, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera are all included. The powertrain will offer one-pedal driving for ease of use, while service intervals of two years or 25,000 miles will help to keep maintenance costs down.

Charging speeds are modest, but in keeping with the type of use that the Transit City is designed for. The maximum DC charging rate is only 87kW and averages at 67kW, so a 10-80 per cent charge will take around 33 minutes, while 30 miles of range can be added in about 10 minutes. Most of the time, the van is designed to be charged at the depot, ready for a day’s work. As a result, three-phase 11kW charging is fitted as standard, and this can take the battery from 10-80 per cent in four and a half hours.

Orders for the Ford Transit City will be taken soon, with prices claimed to be between the electric versions of the smaller Transit Courier and medium-sized Transit Custom. Deliveries are due to commence before the end of the year.

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