As the plug-in hybrid and EV charge continues to heat up in New Zealand, Ford has announced two new additions to its next-gen fleet in the form of two different Transits.
The blue oval has announced that it's bringing in the Transit Custom PHEV and Transit Tourneo Titanium PHEV eight seater; each complimenting the balance of its Transit commercial line-up.
Both feature an electric motor making 92.9kW of power via a 13.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack. These are mated with Ford's 1.0-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder engine.
On electric power alone each vehicle sports a 56km range (according to NEDC figures), while overall range factoring in the 1.0-litre ICE engine sits above 500km. Efficiency sits at a claimed 2.7L/100km, while net payload is rated at 1,130kg.
It's a powertrain that includes adjustable regenerative braking and a four-mode driving system that allows users to switch between EV Auto (default setting balancing between electric and internal combustion energy), EV Now (electric priority), EV Later (preserves current EV levels, prioritises the 1.0-litre engine), and EV Charge (uses the 1.0-litre engine to add charge to the electric motor) modes.
Storage volume in the rear, despite the addition of a battery, is unchanged from the standard Transit range — at 6.0 m3.
“Our customers want electrified vehicles, but many still have concerns about infrastructure and range,” said Simon Rutherford, Managing Director, Ford New Zealand.
“The new Transit Custom and Tourneo Plug-In Hybrids deliver the same well-renowned productivity capabilities combined with the ability to drive on zero-emission electric power and anxiety free ability to make longer journeys.”
Local pricing and availability has yet to be confirmed for the New Zealand market. Expect these factors to be announced closer to the Transit pairing's arrival in mid 2020.
