Inovev forecasts 150,000 units a year for the new Ford Transit Custom
- The Ford Transit Custom van (N1-3 segment), which dates back to 2012, has be replaced this summer 2023. Following agreements between Ford and Volkswagen, the new generation Transit Custom will share its platform and body with the Volkswagen Transporter van (2024 model year). Ford is ending its own platform and using Volkswagen's one (known as MQB), which enables combustion, hybrid and electric engines to be offered on the same model. This strategy clearly shows that American carmakers are behind in the development of 100% electric powertrains, or that there is little interest in this type of powertrain for this market.
- The advantage of using Volkswagen's MQB platform is that Ford is able to offer at a lower cost an electric version of the Transit Custom, which until now was not available.
- The new-generation of Ford Transit Custom will nevertheless continue to be powered by a 2.0 diesel engine and a 2.5 plug-in hybrid petrol engine, in addition to the electric motor supplied by Volkswagen. The batteries, meanwhile, come from SK (formerly SK Innovation), using the same cells as those in the Ford F-150 Lightning, with a total capacity of 74 kWh.
- The new Ford Transit Custom will be produced in Turkey (Kocaeli) as before, with the large Transit continuing its career. Inovev is forecasting stable production of around 150,000 units a year, with the proportion of electric vehicles set to rise steadily between now and 2035.