Ford released the new E-Transit as the electrified version of its popular commercial van, the Ford Transit. However, the American automaker needs to convince its customers about the convenience and advantages of operating and charging an electric van. So how do you charge a Ford E-Transit? Here's what our research has uncovered.
Charging the Ford E-Transit can be done at home, at a public charging station, or in a company's fleet garage. Depending on the kind of charger used, the E-Transit's charging time can be as long as 74 hours or as short as 58 minutes.
Would you like to know more about the different charging solutions for the Ford E-Transit? Do read on, because we've also included some tips about this electric commercial van's battery lifespan, driving range, and charging costs.
Ford E-Transit Charging
Although other electric vehicles like the F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E debuted earlier, the E-Transit is Ford's pioneer model in the all-electric commercial vehicle category. Based closely on the best-selling commercial van, the Ford Transit, the E-Transit aims to give 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 among the top matters in consideration. For commercial EV 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 several charging solutions at home, on the road, or in fleet depots or garages. These include the Ford Mobile Charger, the Ford Connected Charge Station, the Ford Blue Oval Charging Network, and several "depot charging" solutions for business fleets.
Can I Charge My Ford At Home?
All Ford E-Transit units come standard with Ford's Mobile Charger, also called the Ford Mobile Power Cord. When connected to a 120-volt outlet, this 30-ampere charger acts as a Level 1 charger and can add an average of 1.5 to 2 miles of driving range for the E-Transit per charging hour.
With a Level 1 Mobile Charger setup, you can charge your E-Transit from 0% to 100% charge capacity in 72 hours or slightly more.
On the other hand, you may also plug in the Mobile Charger to a 240-volt NEMA 14-50 outlet to accelerate your charging rate. In this setup, the Mobile Charger becomes a Level 2 charger that can add up to 10 miles of driving range per charging hour.
With a Level 2 Mobile Charger setup, you can charge your E-Transit from 0% to 100% charge capacity in approximately 11 hours.
Although the Mobile Charger's Level 2 charging capability may be sufficient for many E-Transit owners, there is still a faster home charging solution called the Ford Connected Charge Station. For the European market, Ford calls this the Connected Wallbox.
What Is The Fastest Way To Charge An E-Transit At Home?
The Ford Connected Charge Station is a 48-ampere, 240-volt is the fastest Level 2 home charger for the Ford E-Transit. This charging solution needs a direct connection to the house's main fuse box and can charge approximately 50% faster than the Level 2 Ford Mobile Charger.
With a capacity to add 15 miles of driving range for every charging hour, the Ford Connected Charge Station can fully charge a completely-drained E-Transit battery in approximately 6 to 8 hours.
The Connected Charge Station also has remote access control capability. This means that even if you set up the charge station outside your garage, you can still prevent unauthorized usage from your phone's Charge Station App via WiFi connection.
Check out this video about an E-Transit owner's testimony about the different home charging times he can achieve with the two aforementioned home charging solutions.
What Charging Network Does Ford Use?
Several public direct-current (DC) public charging stations can provide between 50 to 350 kW to BEVs. However, the E-Transit can only take in 115 kW of power. Nevertheless, this is more than enough to reduce the E-Transit's charging time from hours to just minutes.
Ford announced that the E-transit can get from 15% to 80% charge within 34 minutes using public charging stations.
Ford gives its EV buyers simplified access and payment methods to the Blue Oval charge network. As of this article's writing, this network consists of over 75,000 public charging stations in North America.
Ford Depot Charging
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 business track, manage, and optimize their E-Transit fleet's charging operations.
In early 2022, Ford unveiled six additional chargers apart from the Mobile Power Cord and the Ford Connected Charge Station. Ford Pro says that these chargers are all suitable for fleet garage/depot installation.
- Ford Pro AC Charging Station - available either in 11.5kW or 19.2kW configuration, this Level 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's Intelligent Backup Power. Aside from charging the Lightning, this charger can convert the vehicle's extended-range battery into an emergency power source in case of home power outages.
- Ford Pro DC Charging Station - available either in 60kW or 120 kW variants, this Level 3 DC fast charger can charge up to two vehicles at a time. You may charge one vehicle with a 120 kW output, or two vehicles simultaneously at 60 kW output 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 more aesthetically-designed, touchscreen-controlled DC dispenser that also works in conjunction with a DC Charging cabinet.
- Ford Pro DC Charging Cabinet - the power source for both Industrial and Commercial DC Dispensers. Each DC Charging Cabinet is capable of connecting to two DC Dispensers. However, the DC Charging Cabinet can only distribute a maximum of 180 kW among the two dispensers.
How Many Miles Does The Ford E-Transit Get?
According to Ford, a commercial van in the U.S. 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 an average workday's routes.
As Ford disclosed, the 68-kWh lithium-ion battery pack in the E-Transit has a targeted driving range of 126 miles (202 km). Of course, this range can go down to 100 miles or less depending on the payload or a towed trailer's weight.
Under the Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Test Procedure (WLTP) conditions, however, the Ford E-Transit has a targeted 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 van market, we may not be able to find plenty of owner testimonies about the performance and lifespan the van's EV battery. Nevertheless, Ford gives its EV batteries and high-voltage components an 8-year warranty (100,000 to 160,000 miles, depending on the state or country).
Of course, Ford's warranty period is understandably on the low side of an EV battery's expected useful life. To illustrate, many EV experts agree that current EV batteries have an average lifespan of 200,000 miles or even more.
How Much Does It Cost to Charge An E-Transit?
For 2023, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) anticipates electricity costs to average $0.153 per kWh. The 2023 Ford E-Transit has a 68 kWh battery, so we can compute the cost of a full battery charge in forecasted electricity prices.
To illustrate, 68 kWh x $ 0.153/kWh = $ 10.40 for every full charge. Correlating this cost to the E-Transit's targeted driving range, we can conclude that you can drive the van for 100 to 126 miles (160 to 200 km) for just over $10 worth of "fuel".
To appreciate the savings that an E-Transit can give its owner, we can compare it with the similarly-sized, ICE-powered Ford Transit. With a fuel economy rating ranging from 16 to 17 mpg depending on the drive configuration, the E-Transit will consume 7.87 gallons of gasoline fuel to complete a 126-mile drive.
At the current (02 January 2023) average retail gas 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 2023 Ford E-Transit Price?
The 2023 Ford E-Transit comes in multiple configurations, including three body lengths and three roof heights. For aftermarket outfitters and converters, the E-Transit also comes in chassis-cab and cutaway configurations.
To help you with online window shopping, we've listed the different starting prices of the Ford E-Transit as of January 2023.
- Cargo Van - $55,000
- Chassis Cab - $50,105
- Cutaway - $49,575
Currently, the Ford E-Transit is 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 brother, the Ford Transit, comes in both commercial and passenger van trims.
Wrapping Up
You can charge a Ford E-Transit by plugging in a compatible AC or DC charger to the charging port in front of the vehicle's grille. Charging times range from less than an hour to over three days, depending on the type of charger used.
We should take note, however, that Ford and other EV manufacturers do not recommend using DC fast chargers on a regular basis. Level 1 and Level 2 home chargers may be slower, but they can help prolong the overall lifespan of the EV battery.
Thank you very much for reading. We hope we were able to give you good tips on how to charge the Ford E-Transit at home or at a public charging station.
For more interesting reads about EVs and other automotive topics, you may also check out these great articles below.
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