Consumer electric cars are all the rage right now, with great new models releasing on a regular basis. But perhaps just as interesting as what’s happening in the consumer space is what’s happening in the commercial EV space. We’ve seen splashy headlines related to Rivian’s deal with Amazon, for example, but the commercial space can be a little more rigid, especially when it comes to businesses who have done things one way for years, and aren’t quite ready to make a big shift. That’s where the Ford E-Transit comes in.
I have to admit, driving the E-Transit for a week was a bit of a shift for me. I’m used to driving new EVs, but few of them are as large or as utilitarian as the E-Transit. That, however, just might be the point.
A frictionless switch
The concept behind the E-Transit is simple — make switching to an electric vehicle as seamless and as simple as possible.
What does that actually involve? Well, when you get behind the wheel of an E-Transit you’ll immediately notice that it feels a little…dated. The materials and design are just a little last-generation.
That’s on purpose. The Ford E-Transit was designed specifically to look and feel exactly the same as the Ford Transit, the non-electric variant of the vehicle. The controls are the same, the software is the same, and more importantly, the interior dimensions are the same. The result? Any accessories or fittings you’ve been using on the standard Ford Transit should fit just fine here. That’s good news for those who operate a fleet of vehicles, and who might want to gradually trade in for electric models over time.
It makes sense. Commercial customers willing to make the switch to electric likely want to do so at the lowest price possible — which means re-using any accessories that were already in use, and limiting any downtime that comes as a result of a driver having to learn a new vehicle.
Big and heavy
But under the hood, the Ford E-Transit is still an electric vehicle. That means that Ford has to contend with all the trappings of one.
The E-Transit certainly isn’t the most aerodynamic electric vehicle out there, and the fact that its design matches the gas-powered variant means that Ford has to essentially fit batteries and the electric powertrain into the space that previously would have been used for other components. In the end, the E-Transit has a driving range of 159 miles. That’s not up to the same standard as most consumer electric vehicles, though to be fair, most commercial uses, even delivery drivers, won’t hit that in a day’s work. Ford Pro offers a range of charging solutions for companies to manage the charge of their fleets, too.
It’s also important to keep in mind that weight could dramatically change that estimated range. With a large payload and the wrong weather, you could easily see a range of less than 100 miles. It’s probably worth thinking about how much driving a vehicle does in a day before buying an E-Transit.
Price match
Perhaps the best news of all is that the Ford E-Transit is actually the same price as the regular Ford Transit. That means that customers really can choose between a gad-powered and an electric vehicle, without having to base that choice on the business’s bottom line.
Of course, the downside is that the E-Transit isn’t available in quite as many variants as the regular Ford Transit — there’s only one power option, for example. Thankfully, there are still some choices. Customers can choose from three different roof heights, along with either the long or the extended-length body.
A new old drive
The Ford E-Transit could be the perfect buy for the right customer. The fact is that plenty of companies still want to switch to electric vehicles, whether for the sake of the environment, or to cut down on costs associated with filling a tank of gas. But, there are roadblocks to that adoption. Drivers used to one way of doing things may not want to switch to an all-new setup, not to mention the fact that plenty of companies already have accessories and other internal fittings for their Transit vehicles. The E-Transit removes some of those roadblocks.
Of course, it’s not without issues of its own. That limited range could make it a dealbreaker for some, and the bad news is that there really isn’t a long-range electric van in this price range right now. But, those who can make the lower range work and charge overnight, and who want to switch to an electric experience could find the E-Transit to be a perfect fit.