► MS-RT version brings added styleFord Transit CustomIt’s the nation’s favourite commercial vehicle, by a long chalk, so it is officially a big deal when a new
The layout of the dash, the starting procedure, the gearshift location, the cabin ergonomics – all of these are identical to the diesel with the automatic gearbox. This means you get everything that is excellent about the new Transit Custom, including some genuinely innovative new features like a flat cabin floor and a funky new steering wheel that also functions as a laptop holder or a table.
In the E-Transit Custom’s case, the payload ranges from a high of 1008kg down to 990kg. This is again not too bad rather than excellent, but until battery technology improves this is the general ballpark in which the whole industry is operating. Unusually for an electric van, there is a choice between more than one motor. In fact, there are three to pick from. The one that will likely make up the majority of the sales to the big fleets that are ordering loads at once comes with 138bhp. We’ve yet to try that one, but we have been in the 221bhp model that comes on the Sport trim.
This won’t bring the van to a total halt on its own, but if that is what you want to do then there is a separate one-pedal mode. With a little practice you can drive it around town without touching the brakes at all. Not only does this qualify as a commercial vehicle – something some crew cabs have had problems with in recent years – but it also gives you something genuinely unique in the sector.