Ford has unveiled its smallest electric commercial vehicle, the 2023 E-Transit Courier, which will go on sale in Europe early the following year.
The new battery-powered compact van is greater in every dimension, including load capacity, than its internal combustion-engined forerunner. The total length has increased by 118 mm to 4,278 m, but the load area has increased more. The load length at floor level is now 1,803 mm instead of 1,621 mm, and by ordering the optional load-through bulkhead, you can increase it to 2,661 mm. Thanks to relocated shocks, the distance between the wheel arches has increased by 200 mm, and two standard Euro pallets can now fit in the load bay at once.
The maximum payload is 700 kilograms, and the maximum towing weight is 750 kilograms. The overall cargo volume is 2.9 cubic meters, which is a 25% improvement over the previous model.
Ford E-Transit Courier">
The interior of the small electric van features a "digiboard" instrument panel, which consists of a center 12-inch touchscreen running Ford's newest Sync 4 system and a 12-inch digital instrument cluster. Along with the built-in modem that enables wireless software upgrades and always-on connectivity with the Ford Pro ecosystem, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard.
Ford has withheld a lot of technical information, including the size of the battery, but we do know that the E-Transit has a single 134-horsepower electric motor driving the front wheels and has a top speed cap of 145 km/h. The battery can be charged from zero to one hundred percent using the onboard 11 kW AC charger in 5.7 hours, however since the highest DC rate is only 100 kW, it takes about 35 minutes to charge the battery from zero to eighty percent. However, that 100 kW rate is still potent enough to increase the driving range by 87 km in just 10 minutes.
The blue oval business has not disclosed the battery's capacity, driving range, or energy consumption, but it promises to do so closer to the vehicle's launch on the market.
Customers can choose an optional bundle that includes Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering and Stop & Go, Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert, Intersection Assist, and Reverse Brake Assist. The release does not specify which advanced driver assistance systems are included as standard.
Ford Otosan will assemble the brand-new Ford Transit Courier in Craiova, Romania, at the same plant where the compact Ford Puma crossover is made.
Starting this year, the new vehicle will be offered a variety of gasoline and diesel engines, with the all-electric E-Transit Courier coming in 2024. Both the van and double-cab-in-van body types of the small commercial vehicle will be available.