Ford launched the new E-Transit as the electrified version of its popular commercial van, the Ford Transit. However, the US automaker needs to convince its customers of the convenience and benefits of operating and charging an electric van. So how do you charge a Ford E-Transit? This is what our research has discovered.
Charging the Ford E-Transit can be done at home, at a public charging station or in a company fleet garage. Depending on the type of charger used, the E-Transit charging time can be 74 hours or 58 minutes.
Would you like to know more about the different charging solutions for the Ford E-Transit? Read on, because we’ve also included some tips on battery life, driving range, and charging costs for this electric commercial van.
Ford E-Transit charging
Although other electric vehicles such as the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E debuted earlier, the E-Transit is Ford’s pioneering model in the all-electric commercial vehicle category. Based largely on the best-selling commercial van, the Ford Transit, the E-Transit aims to offer commercial van buyers a more environmentally friendly option.
In the ongoing transition from internal combustion engines (ICE) to battery electric vehicles (EVs), the ease of the recharging process is one of the main issues to consider. For commercial electric vehicle customers in particular, their business operations should not suffer due to the battery charging process.
So how do you charge a Ford E-Transit?
Ford offers E-Transit customers various charging solutions at home, on the road, or in fleet depots or garages. These include the Ford Mobile Charger, the Ford Connected Charging Station, the Ford Blue Oval Charging Net, and various “depot charging” solutions for commercial fleets.
Can I charge my Ford at home?
All Ford E-Transit units come standard with the Ford Mobile Charger, also called the Ford Mobile Power Cord. When connected to a 120-volt outlet, this 30-amp charger acts as a Level 1 charger and can add an average of 1.5 to 2 miles of range for the E-Transit per hour of charging.
With a Level 1 mobile charger setup, you can charge your E-Transit from 0% to 100% charge capacity in 72 hours or more.
On the other hand, you can also plug the mobile charger into a 240 volt NEMA 14-50 outlet to speed up your charging speed. In this configuration, the mobile charger becomes a Level 2 charger that can add up to 10 miles of range per hour of charging.
With a Level 2 mobile charger configuration, you can charge your E-Transit from 0% to 100% charging capacity in approximately 11 hours.
Although the mobile charger’s Level 2 charging capability may be enough for many E-Transit owners, there is still a faster home charging solution called the Ford Connected Charging Station. For the European market, Ford calls it the Connected Wallbox.
What is the fastest way to charge an E-Transit at home?
The Ford Connected Charging Station is a faster 48 amp 240 volt level 2 home charger for the Ford E-Transit. This charging solution requires a direct connection to your home’s main fuse box and can charge approximately 50% faster than the Ford Tier 2 Mobile Charger.
With the ability to add 15 miles of range for every hour of charging, the Ford Connected Charging Station can fully charge a completely discharged E-Transit battery in approximately 6 to 8 hours.
The connected charging station also has remote access control capability. This means that even if you set up the charging station outside of your garage, you can still prevent unauthorized use of your phone’s charging station app over a WiFi connection.
Check out this video on an E-Transit owner’s testimonial about the different home charging times you can achieve with the two home charging solutions mentioned above.
What charging network does Ford use?
Various public direct current (DC) charging stations can provide between 50 and 350 kW to BEVs. However, the E-Transit can only support 115 kW of power. However, this is more than enough to reduce the charging time of the E-Transit from hours to just minutes.
Ford announced that the E-transit can get a charge from 15% to 80% in 34 minutes using public charging stations.
Ford provides its EV buyers with simplified access and payment methods to the Blue Oval charging network. As of this writing, this network consists of more than 75,000 public charging stations in North America.
Ford depot charge
The Ford Pro Charging division offers customized planning, implementation and management services to its E-Transit fleet customers. Using fleet-specific charging hardware and software, Ford Pro can help businesses track, manage and optimize their E-Transit fleet charging operations.
In early 2022, Ford introduced six additional chargers in addition to the Ford Mobile Power Cable and Connected Charging Station. Ford Pro says that all of these chargers are suitable for installation in garages/fleet depots.
Ford Pro AC Charging Station – Available in either 11.5 kW or 19.2 kW configuration, this Tier 2 charger comes with WiFi, Ethernet and cellular connectivity for remote access.
Ford Charge Station Pro – Built especially for the Ford Lightning to enable Ford Smart Backup Power. In addition to charging the Lightning, this charger can turn the vehicle’s extended-range battery into an emergency power source in the event of power outages at home.
Ford Pro DC Charging Station – Available in 60 kW or 120 kW variants, this Tier 3 DC fast charger can charge up to two vehicles at once. You can charge one vehicle with a power of 120 kW or two vehicles simultaneously with a power of 60 kW for each vehicle.
Ford Pro Industrial DC Dispenser – Similar to the DC charging station, the Industrial DC Dispenser can charge up to two vehicles at a time. However, the dispenser works in conjunction with the Ford Pro DC charging cabinet to provide a maximum output of 180 kW.
Ford Pro Commercial DC Dispenser – A touch screen controlled DC dispenser with a more aesthetic design that also works in conjunction with a DC charging cabinet.
Ford Pro DC Charging Cabinet – The power source for industrial and commercial DC dispensers. Each DC charging cabinet can be connected to two DC dispensers. However, the DC load cabinet can only distribute a maximum of 180 kW between the two dispensers.
How many miles does the Ford E-Transit get?
According to Ford, a commercial truck in the US travels an average of 74 miles per day. The American automaker took this figure into account and gave the E-Transit more than enough driving range for the average workday’s routes.
As Ford revealed, the 68 kWh lithium-ion battery pack in the E-Transit has a specified driving range of 126 miles (202 km). Of course, this range can be reduced to 100 miles or less depending on the payload or weight of the trailer towed.
However, under the conditions of the World Harmonized Light Duty Test Procedure (WLTP), the Ford E-Transit has a target range of 217 miles (350 km).
How long does the Ford E-Transit battery last?
Due to the E-Transit’s recent debut in the commercial truck market, we may not be able to find many owner testimonials about the truck’s EV battery life and performance. However, Ford gives its EV batteries and high-voltage components an 8-year (100,000 to 160,000 miles, depending on state or country) warranty.
Of course, Ford’s warranty period is understandably on the low side of an EV battery’s expected lifespan. To illustrate, many EV experts agree that today’s EV batteries have an average life of 200,000 miles or even more.
How much does it cost to charge an E-Transit?
By 2023, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) anticipates that electricity costs will average €0.153 per kWh. The 2023 Ford E-Transit has a 68 kWh battery, so we can calculate the cost of a full battery charge at forecasted electricity prices.
To illustrate, 68 kWh x €0.153/kWh = €10.40 for each full charge. By correlating this cost with the E-Transit’s target driving range, we can conclude that you can drive the van 100 to 126 miles (160 to 200 km) for just over €10 worth of “fuel.”
To appreciate the savings that an E-Transit can bring its owner, we can compare it to the similarly sized Ford Transit with an ICE engine. With a fuel economy rating ranging from 16 to 17 mpg depending on drive settings, the E-Transit will consume 7.87 gallons of gasoline fuel to complete a 126-mile trip.
At the current (January 2, 2023) average retail price of €3.33 per gallon, the Ford Transit will consume €26.20 worth of fuel to reach the 126-mile target. In conclusion, the E-Transit can save up to 60% in terms of fuel costs compared to similarly sized ICE-powered commercial vans.
What is the price of the 2023 Ford E-Transit?
The 2023 Ford E-Transit comes in multiple configurations, including three body lengths and three roof heights. For aftermarket manufacturers and converters, the E-Transit also comes in chassis-cab and cutaway configurations.
To help you with your online window shopping, we’ve listed the different starting prices for the Ford E-Transit as of January 2023.
Cargo van – €55,000
Chassis with cab – €50,105
Cut – €49,575
The Ford E-Transit is currently only available in different 2-seater commercial van configurations. However, we may be able to see a passenger version of this EV in the near future because its ICE-powered sibling, the Ford Transit, comes in both passenger and commercial van versions.
conclusions
You can charge a Ford E-Transit by connecting a compatible AC or DC charger to the charging port in front of the vehicle’s grill. Charge times range from less than an hour to more than three days, depending on the type of charger used.
However, we must note that Ford and other EV manufacturers do not recommend the regular use of DC fast chargers. Tier 1 and Tier 2 home chargers may be slower, but can help extend overall electric vehicle battery life.
Thanks so much for reading. We hope we were able to give you some good advice on how to charge the Ford E-Transit at home or at a public charging station.
For more interesting reading on electric vehicles and other automotive topics, you can also check out these great articles below.
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