Ford E-Tourneo Custom electric van targets VW ID Buzz

Ford is targeting potential customers of the VW ID Buzz battery-electric van with upmarket versions of the newly unveiled E-Tourneo Custom passenger van.

The E-Tourneo Custom is one version of Ford's new passenger van range based on the Transit Custom midsize van unveiled earlier this year.

The battery-electric version uses a 74-kilowatt hour battery for a targeted range of 370 km (230 miles) and will be available in high-spec Titanium X trim and in SUV-inspired Active versions.

The van is "suitable for surf trips and summits - and everything in between,” Martin Sander, head of Ford’s Model E electric division in the region, tweeted, touting it as a rival for the VW ID Buzz.

Models in the Custom range will not be sold in the U.S., Ford has said.

The Tourneo Custom will also be available with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that links a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with an 11.8 kWh battery pack that promises to give over 50 km (31 miles) of electric-only range.

A diesel engine with three power levels will also be available, with all-wheel drive offered as an option on the lower powered versions.

Deliveries for the Tourneo Custom range will start “mid-2023” from its joint-venture factory in Kocaeli, Turkey, Ford said.

The high-spec versions offer a range of equipment to tempt customers who might normally buy SUVs or VW’s popular Multivan.

The Titanium X model comes with 19in wheels, LED lights and a synthetic leather covering for the seats, while a panoramic sunroof is optional.

Equipment available across the models includes a suite of driver assistance technology for the first time, including adaptive cruise control with lane centering, park assist and a 360-degree camera system.

A 13-inch touchscreen in the center of the dashboard running Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment system is supplemented by a secondary digital screen infront of the driver.

A wireless charging system can hold up to nine devices, while the two outermost second row seats can be optioned as heated.

Also available is a tilting steering wheel that can double as a desk or table.

The Tourneo Custom can seat up to nine across three rows of seats, with eight people maximum for the electric version.

The battery cells for the electric version are the same as Ford uses in the F-150 Lightning pickup and are supplied by SK On.

Ford will also offer an optional vehicle-to-load charger, which allows customers to run appliances from the van’s battery.

The Transit Custom will also form the basis of the new VW Transporter range of midsize vans as part of a multi-vehicle production agreement between the two companies.

The companies said in 2020 that they would produce a total of 8 million commercial vehicles together, including pickups and vans.

VW has split its passenger van strategy by launching a separate Multivan on the MBQ platform VW offers both van and passenger versions of the ID Buzz, starting at 54,430 euros for the commercial variant.

Ford has not released prices of the E-Tourneo Custom.

The E-Tourneo Custom is one of nine full-electric vehicles Ford plans to launch in Europe by 2024, including a battery-electric version of the Puma small crossover, its best-selling passenger car in the region.

Ford’s first European produced EV will be a midsize SUV that will go into production at Ford's factory in Cologne, Germany, next year. The crossover will use Volkswagen Group's MEB electric platform that underpins the VW ID4 SUV as well as the ID Buzz.

Ford said in March it would build an electric-vehicle battery plant in Turkey with South Korean battery maker SK On and its Turkish joint venture partner, Koc Holding. The plant aims to have an annual production capacity of 30 to 45 gigawatt-hours, Ford and SK On said.