The plug-in hybrid version of Ford’s best-selling Transit Custom offers a stepping stone between the ICE and fully electric versions. Al Suttie tests it for a week.

Ford Transit Custom Sport Plug-in Hybrid

List price (BiK): £50,885 (£4,020 flat rate)    CO2: 164g/km    Economy: 39.2 miles / 166.2mpg weighted combined    Test efficiency: 36.6mpg

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Monday

I have to admit to a moment’s confusion this morning when I jumped into the Ford Transit that arrived earlier. The spec sheet says E-Transit Custom Sport, so I was expecting a fully electric van, but this one clearly has an engine – a 2.5-litre Duratec, to be precise. So, this is the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) van. Nothing wrong with that when it promises up to 35 miles of battery-powered driving and emissions as low as 37g/km for this Sport version.

Tuesday

From previous experience of the latest Transit range, there’s not a lot to give away the PHEV model other than the charging point in the front right bumper corner. For my money, I’d rather this was at the rear of the van so I could back into a charging point and pull away forwards. However, there is also the practical side that this might rob space from the Transit Custom’s load bay, which offers up to 6.8m3 and 1,099kg in this 320 L2 H1 spec.

Wednesday

One of the extras fitted to this particular Transit is the 2.3kW Pro Power onBoard, which is a long-winded way of saying it has extra power points. The benefit is you don’t need to cart about a separate generator to plug tools into. Simply hook them up to the van and off you go. It’s a neat installation at the rear of the van with twin plugs.

Thursday

Some other extras fitted to this van that might not be so high up on a user’s agenda include the Bang & Olufsen sound system for £625 and the £600 19-inch alloy wheels. While the wheels don’t impact on the comfort and ability of the Transit to ride over rough roads with a good deal of panache, they do seem like an indulgence on a van intended more as a workhorse than show pony.

Friday

After a few days of using the Transit in PHEV form, it is remarkably easy to live with. There are various driving modes, but the ones that make the greatest difference to how you use it are the EV-related ones. I’ve spent most of the time in the EV Auto setting, letting the van decide when is best to use battery or petrol power. It runs for a good deal of the time in EV mode, or you can select this with the EV Now mode or charge the battery for use further down the line with the EV Later choice.

Saturday

One of the great tricks pulled off by the Transit, which goes right back to the very earliest of the breed, is making a van so easy and car-like to drive. Anyone who has driven an SUV of larger dimensions will have no problem settling into the Transit. This one is further assisted with its optional digital rear-view mirror and 360-degree camera that makes reversing a doddle.

Sunday

Pretty decent combined fuel economy is a big plus for the plug-in hybrid Transit, offsetting some of its higher initial cost than a diesel model. Performance is also more than up to the job thanks to this version’s 232PS, though 209Nm of torque could mean working the drivetrain a bit harder when fully loaded up. Overall, though, it works smoothly and seamlessly.