Ford Transit Custom PHEV Van Review

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…the latest Ford Transit Custom in plug-in hybrid from. Power comes from the manufacturer’s tried-and-tested 2.5-litre petrol engine seen in its other vehicles, such as the Ford Kuga, plus an electric motor coupled to an 11.8 kWh battery. The combination provides 232hp powering the front wheels.

The Custom PHEV is available in two trim levels:

Limited
Sport

Standard equipment on the Limited includes power-fold door mirrors, 13-inch infotainment screen, body coloured bumpers, powered windows and load compartment lights.

Sport adds dual zone climate control, powered driver’s seat, heated front seats, wireless charging, bonnet stripes and alloy wheels.

Is The Ford Transit Custom PHEV Suitable For My Fleet

If you’re after a mid-size van, the Transit Custom is completely suitable for your fleet. However, this is a question specifically about the plug-in hybrid version. So if you’re a fleet that doesn’t often cover high mileages and has the facility to charge up regularly, then the PHEV version makes a lot of sense. Especially if the limitations (real world range of about 120 miles on a warm motorway) of the fully-electric Transit mean you can’t go for that option. The PHEV doesn’t have any load carrying compromises over the diesel version either. The only downside is that the torque or shove is lower in the PHEV than either the EV or the diesel. So it may not be the best choice if you tow.

Leasing A Ford Transit Custom PHEV

Gateway2Lease is offering the Ford Transit Custom L2H1 PHEV Sport for £686 a month on a 9+36 contract with 10,000 miles a year.

Driving A Ford Transit Custom PHEV

Anyone used to driving a van will be used to diesel power. This makes the switch to a plug-in hybrid significant.

While many van users aren’t yet tempted by going fully electric, a PHEV could be seen as a half-way house to a full EV.

In the Transit Custom’s case, there are some significant wins, but also some disadvantages too.

The only real visual clue you’re driving a Custom PHEV is, externally, the front bumper charge port. Once inside it’s more obvious as there’s a column mounted gear-lever and when you press the ‘start’ button there’s no engine noise.

In fact in the vast majority of driving scenarios the Custom PHEV is amazingly refined. Only if you’re accelerating hard is the petrol engine noise intrusive. And thanks to the CVT gearbox it’s a bit droney too.

The Transit Custom is good at running on electric-only power as much as possible. Even though the real-world EV range was, in our experience about 24 miles in twon driving (rather than the official 36 miles), once depleted, the Custom PHEV would regenerate enough charge to provide about 10% extra electric miles.

However, at motorway speed the battery would deplete far quicker – providing perhaps about 10 miles from a full charge. Fortunately, there’s a selectable mode that allows you to hold the battery charge – which is useful if you are doing longer journeys and want to use the battery at your destination.

As with all plug-in hybrids, vans and cars, real-world efficiency will depend on your ability to plug-in and the type of driving. In our test – over more than 750 miles – we saw 30.9mpg. This equates to 20p a mile at today’s fuel prices. A diesel doing 40mpg would cost around 16p a mile. However, our testing included a high proportion of motorway miles and only a single charge.

It’s calculations such as this that will determine if the Transit Custom PHEV is suitable for your fleet more than anything else, because the rest of the Custom’s traits are uncompromised from the diesel, which means the same great seating position, a great driving experience and a comprehensive retail network to support servicing and maintenance.

FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Ford Transit Custom PHEV

If your van use is mostly local and you have charging facilities, the Custom PHEV is a great solution.