2024 Ford E-Transit gets a bigger battery, quicker charging

The 2024 model year marks a decade of U.S.-built Ford Transit vans, the Kansas City Assembly Plant sending more than 1.2 million caverns on wheels onto American roads. According to the automaker, it didn't take a full year on sale for the Transit to become the best-selling commercial van on the market, and by 2016, Ford says the Transit outsold all vans, period, including minivans. The E-Transit has more than done its part to pad the sales numbers; the automaker claims that in only two years on sale, the electric van has spared buyers from paying for more than three million gallons of gas and spared the environment more than 25 million kilograms of vehicular CO2 emissions.

In celebration, Ford Pro upgraded a couple of key specs on the battery-powered hauler. A new pack with 89 kWh of usable energy supplants the current 68-kWh pack. Maximum estimated range is said to max out at 159 miles, which would be for the low-roof cargo van and represent a 26% improvement on today's 126-mile demonstrated range. Ford estimates the high-roof Transit's range at 108 miles and says the new battery yields an improvement of up to 32%, which would come to 143 miles. With the company's telematics data on more than 2.5 million trips showing that an E-Transit's average daily workload is 74 miles, drivers will appreciate the additional cushion.

Refilling will be quicker, thanks to two onboard chargers that raise the peak DC fast-charge rate from the current 115 kW to 176 kW. Instead of restoring 47 miles of range when plugged into a DC fast charger, the batteries in the 2024 will add 67 miles. And a second-generation Ford Pro Series 2 80A charging station overtakes the 48A charger at the top, shortening the time it takes to get from zero to a 100% state-of-charge to six hours and 11 minutes. An updated 48A charger will come with a new LCD screen, replaceable cables, and the ability to connect to cell networks without Wi-Fi. The new 80A charger is available now, the 48A charger hits the accessories shop mid-year.

Order banks are open now; 2024 E-Transit deliveries are expected later this year. The entry price climbs slightly, from $49,995 before destination for the low-roof cargo van to $51,095. Assuming the freight charge doesn't budge from the present $1,895, buyers are looking at $52,990 before incentives and before dabbling in the extensive options menu.