Ford E-Transit Courier Panel Van (2024 - ) Electric review

One body style in electric and ICE variants of the Courier keeps it simple for potential users. The load space is wide enough to fit a Euro pallet between the arches, and the load length of 1.8m means you can fit two in there. Load volume is 2.9 cubic metres, and you can extend the load length if you choose to have a load-through hatch fitted in the bulkhead to 2.6m. Access to the back is through two rear doors split 60/40 with a single sliding side door fitted as standard - although opting for the second side door is very tempting and definitely worth considering for increased accessibility. A nice addition to the electric Courier is the front trunk (frunk) which is a great place to stash your charging cable (and other bits) away from whatever you’re carrying. The electric battery eats into the ICE variant’s payload (although not its load volume) by around 130kg pulling it down to a still-workable 700kg. Lashing points are plentiful and there’s really very little to quibble over in (arguably) the most important part of this van. An electric light commercial vehicle that looks this compact really shouldn’t be this practical, but it is.

The cabin feels more like what you’d expect to find in a light commercial vehicle than most other Ford vans, which often feel luxurious. That’s not to say Courier’s interior isn’t comfortable or stylish, it’s just the places some corners have been cut are more obvious - however, cost savings need to be made somewhere to keep it at an attractive price point. There’s a lot of textured black/grey plastics on nearly every surface except the digital screens (one digital cluster and one 12-inch infotainment screen), and the fabrics on the seats are hard-wearing and simple. The seats are mounted on exposed rails that I caught my trousers on more than once, mainly because I’m six foot tall and needed to push the seat back thereby exposing the rails. The interior roof lining also feels a bit more ‘cost-effective’. The steering wheel, however, is really nice to use, is covered in controls, and is flat at the top and bottom - not a square, not a circle, but something in between… a squircle. The seating position for the driver is upright and feels commanding, very like the seating position of the Renault Zoe Van. Nice touches include a wireless phone charging area below the main infotainment screen, two good cup holders, a glove box, shelves on the roof interior and a dividable storage area between the seats. It’s a cabin that does the things it needs to get right pretty well, but feels noticeably less refined than other Ford commercial vehicle cabins.

As an electric light commercial vehicle, E-Transit Courier will be cheaper to charge at home (depending on your home energy tariff) and less cheap when charging publicly. Charging times are very much what you’d expect on low-power chargers, but on a 100kW charger Ford Pro quotes 23 minutes for 10-80% rapid charging. The 180-mile range is very usable and should last a few days before charging is needed. RRPs are good starting around the £28,000 mark, these could be further broken down if you can get one on finance or if you find a good lease deal. The plug-in van grant also has an impact and reduces the price nicely.

The E-Transit Courier is covered by a manufacturer’s warranty that lasts for three years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), and the battery is covered for eight years or 100,000 miles. The fact it’s an electric vehicle means less mechanical parts to go wrong, which is good peace of mind.

As a compact electric van, the E-Transit Courier performs well. The accessible load space, especially with two side doors fitted, is parkable anywhere for drop offs and quick stops. The drive is smooth and quiet, aside from some wind noise, and it’s easy to point and drive wherever you need to go. For those wanting a smaller-than-small van that still offers good performance and practicality, it’s hard to think of any other van in its class that would be as easy to recommend.

Our test loop in the E-Transit Courier was a 75km (nearly 50 miles) drive around the outskirts of Barcelona taking in motorways, town roads and country driving with a load of 250kg in the back. The drive was smooth and quiet with only low-level wind noise to contend with. The load stiffened the suspension a little more, despite it already feeling stiff under the weight of the battery. It handled all types of driving very well with no worrying moments or rolling into or out of corners. The motor provides up to 136PS of power and the 182-mile range can be stretched with careful driving. Based on the Ford Puma platform, it feels familiar and safe - there’s little else to qualify it for a four-star rating in this category.

A platinum Euro NCAP safety rating goes a long way, and Courier has earned this through providing a strong ‘as-standard’ level of safety systems. Cruise control, wrong-way assist, traffic sign recognition, rear parking sensors, alertness warnings, lane assist, airbags, tyre pressure monitoring, roll stability, traction control and ABS are all standard offerings across the range. E-Transit Courier’s safety systems can be further enhanced with optional extras including lane-change assist, blind-spot warning, adaptive cruise control, rear-view camera fed from the rear door, and rear cross traffic alert. It’s a safe van to drive and very much what you’d expect from Ford.

While not massively different on the outside, the electric Courier has slightly different headlights, a choice of 16- or 17-inch alloys, its own new dashboard, keyless start, 12v power socket, the squircle steering wheel, stylish air vents and the large 12-inch infotainment screen. Standard offerings include climate control, front parking aids, lumbar support, LED lights. On the high-spec Limited trim you get a heated windscreen, more lumbar adjustables on both seats, and a heated steering wheel. In the end, best advice is to check the specification list against price and make your choice on what you need based on that.

The Ford E-Transit Courier does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s an electric version of the latest Courier offering nearly 200 miles of range, a decent 700kg payload, just enough Ford quality in the cabin, and is a well-rounded and future-proofed compact electric light commercial vehicle in its own right. Yes, the cabin could be better and the range is slightly lower than you might expect, but it’s a solid van for so many reasons. If you’re in the market, add this van to your consideration list because it’s very good.