Ford Transit Custom hybrid range, MPG, CO2 & charging

The Ford Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid – to give it its full name – is the only plug-in hybrid van on sale in the UK right now, giving it a monopoly in this small segment of the market for the time being.

Usefully, the 13.6kWh battery hasn’t reduced overall carrying capacity compared to the standard internal-combustion-engined Transits, although the maximum payload of 1,130kg is a little lower. This makes the PHEV a tempting alternative to the petrol and diesel versions, especially for those based in towns and cities, whose daily mileage will mostly be covered by the electric-only range.

However, if you only ever cover short distances, it may be worth considering one of the myriad pure-electric vans on the market, the likes of which include the Volkswagen ABT e-Transporter and Mercedes eVito. While they’ve no petrol or diesel engine to fall back on, their greater electric range (approaching 100 miles) could mean you see daily running costs tumble.

Ford Transit Custom hybrid range, MPG & CO2 emissions

With a full charge, the Ford Transit PHEV has an electric range of up to 26 miles in normal driving, or around 30 miles in slower, stop-start urban traffic. This means if you plug the van in regularly, your running costs will fall significantly as you’ll be less reliant on petrol.

Officially, the Transit PHEV returns 91.7mpg fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 70g/km. Both figures are reliant on regular charging, of course, without which you won’t stand a chance of realising them in the real world.

If you’re not in a position to regularly plug the van in – either because it’s being used frequently or you don’t have access to a charger – there's a failsafe: the Transit comes with an ‘EV Charge’ driving mode that uses the engine to top up the battery while you’re driving. This is less efficient, but it does at least mean you’ll benefit from zero-emissions running in built-up areas or specific low-emissions zones.

Charge time

The Transit Custom PHEV has a Type 2 socket, which is located under the front-left headlight. Connect this to a domestic three-pin plug and a full charge of the battery will take around four hours and 20 minutes – returning around 26 miles of electric range.

Those with a wallbox – installed either at home or at work – benefit from faster charging times, fully replenishing the battery in a little under three hours. As is the case with nearly all plug-in hybrids, there's no rapid-charging facility for the Transit PHEV, as this isn't deemed necessary for relatively small batteries.