Ford teases second new van to offer full-electric variant
Ford has teased a new van that is expected to be the new Transit Custom midsize model, which will be sold with full-electric, plug-in hybrid and combustion-engine versions.
The company released a dark picture showing a distinctive light bar running the width of the van’s grille.
The new-generation Transit Custom will go into production in 2023 at Ford’s plant in Turkey, alongside a Volkswagen-badged Transporter van as part of an industrial alliance between the two companies announced in 2019.
The new model will be unveiled on May 9 and will be sold alongside the new electric E-Transit large van, Ford said. The company did not confirm the name of the new van ahead of its unveiling.
The electric Transit Custom will be one of four full-electric vans and three new full-electric passenger cars that Ford plans to launch by 2024.
The other electric vans will include a Tourneo Custom passenger version, a small Transit Courier van available from 2024 and built in Craiova in Romania, and a Tourneo passenger version of the Courier.
Ford started production of the E-Transit in March at its Ford Otosan joint venture facility in Turkey.
As part of its partnership with VW, Ford will also build a version of its new Ranger pickup for Volkswagen badged as the Amarok.
VW will supply Ford a version of its Caddy compact van. Ford showed the Tourneo passenger van version in October last year, and said the van would arrive at a later date without being specific.
The Transit and Tourneo Connect will be built alongside the Caddy at VW’s factory in Poznan, Poland.
Ford has said it will offer full-electric or plug-in hybrid versions of its commercial vehicle lineup in Europe by 2024. By 2030 it said it expects two-thirds of its commercial vehicle sales in Europe to be all-electric or plug-in hybrid.
Ford’s first full-electric car built in Europe will be a midsize crossover that will go into production in Cologne, Germany, next year. The crossover will use Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric platform that underpins the VW ID4, among other VW Group models.
The crossover will have a 500 km (311 mile) driving range on a single charge.
A second passenger vehicle based on the MEB platform and described as a sports crossover will also be built in Cologne starting in 2024.
Source : Autonews.com