Ford e-Transit review

This is where the modern van really starts to make sense, and the e-Transit keeps its end up. The usual set of analogue-ish dials in front of the driver, then a clear, crisp 12-inch touchscreen nicked from the Mach-E running Ford’s Sync 4 software in the middle. And it works. Over-the-air updates and live mapping that affects range prediction also help with the day-to-day.

Is there good storage in the cab?

There’s space for everything inside the e-Transit, absolutely acres of storage from cubbies to drinks holders and places to put paperwork, and then lots and lots of creature comforts, from Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to standard heated seats and a heated windscreen.

There’s also a full suite of advanced driver assist systems on offer, and even though the seats are a bit basic and the plastics are built for abuse rather than finger-feel, it’s a comfy, practical and relatively upmarket place to be. It certainly helps if you’ve got to spend the majority of your working life at the wheel.

Any useful tech?

Ford has an app that you can use to control or monitor various aspects of the van from your phone. It's useful for locking and unlocking remotely, preconditioning the battery on a cold day or even heating up the cabin while the van is charging. All helps to keep the battery for driving rather than wasting energy on fripperies like not shivering to death.

And if you’re on-site doing a proper job all day, there’s Pro Power onboard, a vehicle-to-load set-up which delivers 2.3kW of power to whatever you need direct from the traction battery. What we mean is... there are a couple of (optional) three-pin sockets in the back so you can charge a laptop, juice up some hair straighteners or power a bandsaw for just a couple of miles of range per hour. That’s handy – just plug ’n’ play.

In terms of absolute practicality, it really depends on which spec you have the e-Transit in: different wheelbases and box heights for the panel van, crew cabs, specialist fitment...

Anything we should know about the smaller Transits?

Well, there aren’t any analogue dials in sight here, with even the smallest e-Courier getting dual 12.0-inch digital dial and infotainment displays, and the Custom an even bigger 13.0-inch touchscreen slap bang in the middle of its dash.

Both run off Ford’s latest SYNC 4 system and it’s pretty good too, with sharp graphics and excellent responsiveness, plus adjustable shortcuts on the bottom row. But as ever there’s a real absence of any proper physical switchgear, and adjusting the climate settings and turning off the driver assist means diving into the menus. Argh!

Otherwise they both clearly favour comfort over the utilitarian approach of old, though the passenger seat in the e-Courier offers absolutely no adjustment at all because of the load-through bulkhead behind it. Fair amount of hard plastics too.