Ford reveals electric E-Tourneo Custom

Ford has revealed the next step in its electrified offensive with the E-Tourneo Custom – an electric eight-seater based on its best-selling van.

One of four electric commercial vehicles being launched by Ford by 2024, the E-Tourneo Custom follows on from the already unveiled E-Transit Custom, and is the first electric Tourneo – the nameplate reserved for Ford’s van-based MPVs.

Built around a new platform, the E-Tourneo Custom packs an electric motor producing 215bhp and a 74kWh usable battery, which Ford says allows for a range of up to 236 miles. It can also be charged at up to 125kW, enabling a 15 to 80 per cent rapid charge to take place in 41 minutes.

It can tow up to 2,000kg, while up to 2.3kW can be delivered through the sockets in the cabin, which Ford says is ‘ideal for powering digital devices, tools or sports and camping equipment when off-grid’.

On top of the electric versions, the Tourneo Custom will also be available as a plug-in hybrid and a regular diesel, with these latter two versions available with up to nine seats. Customers will be able to choose between standard and long wheelbases as well.

The new Tourneo Custom boasts a more flexible seating arrangement than its predecessors, with the seats able to slide along tracks, while the seats in the second row can be moved independently. Ford says the chairs are now lighter too, so they can be removed more easily than before.

The manufacturer is promising a ‘luxurious cabin specification’, with new features including a large panoramic glass roof, a 14-speaker B&O sound system plus gesture-controlled sliding doors that can be opened using a kicking motion next to the front wheel.

Various versions will be available, including a more rugged-looking Active trim, as well as a racier Sport grade. The range-topping Titanium X is laden with equipment too, including 19-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights plus synthetic leather seat trim.

Ford says the new platform allows improved comfort, while the overall height of the Tourneo Custom has been reduced to under two metres on many versions, meaning it can get into many garages and multi-storey car parks. A new independent rear suspension is also fitted across the range.

The new Transit Custom boasts a more modern design than its predecessor, too, including a sharp new lighting signature and a full-width front light bar on selected versions. Electric versions get a revised grille to help them stand out as well.

It also adopts Ford’s latest in-car technology, including a new 13-inch touchscreen boasting Ford’s latest Sync 4 software, as well as a new digital instrument cluster. The new squared-off steering wheel can also tilt completely on its side, allowing it to be used as a surface for a laptop or completely flat for a table.

Prices are yet to be announced, though first deliveries of the new Ford Transit Custom are expected from the middle of next year.