The electric Transit is confirmed for local sale. But what versions we will see and for how much is as yet unknown.

AVAILABILITY is confirmed, arrival date is two years away and, until price is narrowed down, fleet managers will be left pondering the total cost-effectiveness.

That in a snap is the situation in respect to the E-Transit, the wholly electric edition of Ford’s workhorse van, which the national distributor has confirmed for sale here, though not until some time in 2022.

Ford New Zealand’s confirmation of the model, on the same day of its global unveiling, reflects the distributor’s strong conviction that electric is the way forward for this class of vehicle, particularly when used for urban work.

The range? That’s interesting. American models are rated by the EPA for 202km of travel per charge (in low bodystyle variants), while European models are good for 350km of travel per charge according to the WLTP.

E-Transit’s drive modes are also tailored to its electric powertrain. A special Eco Mode aims to provide up to an 8-10 pe cent improvement in energy usage if it’s driven unladen with spirited acceleration or at highway speeds, according to Ford data. Eco Mode limits top speed, regulates acceleration and optimises climate control to help maximise the available driving range.

All models irrespective of market are powered by a 67kWh battery feeding a punchy 198kW/430Nm electric motor that drives the rear wheels.

The big question mark is price. Ford NZ says that – along with the market’s specification – won’t be sorted for quite a while yet.

Even so, the pricing structure already established for the Transit in its orthodox diesel format and plug-in hybrid format – plus market recognition that full-out electrics, due to their technology, unavoidably carry a premium - surely has to give an early warning about the lines’ probable placement.

As things stand, the wholly fossil fuel-reliant models span from $63,000 to almost $75k. The PHEV cargo van that is establishing now is a $89,990 ask. Conceivably, then, the cheapest fully electric model might be up around $100,000, so line-ball with the Tourneo Titanium people mover that carries a $99,990 premium.

The PHEV and EV models will make for interesting comparison, on performance and per kilometre costing.

Ford is urging potential customers to consider that the E-Transit boasts maintenance costs that are 40 percent lower than its internal combustion cousins over an eight-year or 161,000km period. Which camp does the PHEV sit closer to? That’s not yet clear.

The plug-in uses a 92.9kW electric motor to power the front wheels, drawing on energy stored in its 13.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

This gives it around 50km of EV range before a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbopetrol fires up as a generator to charge the battery pack, but when that happens the model has a range similar to that of the diesel, with around 500km overall. An average optimal fuel burn of 2.4L/100km on the combined cycle is claimed in the United Kingdom.

The battery pack can be charged via the mains in 4.3 hours or by a Type-2 AC charger in 2.7 hours. The pack comes with an eight year/160,000km warranty.

The full electric’s range varies depending on version. The low-roofed editions have the best range, of 200km. It’s 189km for the medium-height roof version and 174km for the high-roof versions. That compare well with the E-Transit’s rivals including the Peugeot Partner Electric (170km), LDV EV80 (190km) and the Mercedes-Benz eVito (150km).

The E-Transit features AC and DC fast-charging. A full charge on DC using a 115kW fast charger will top the battery up from 15 percent to 80 percent in 34 minutes. The more common 50kW chargers will to that in 65 minutes. Stick it into a home power socket and it’s a 12-hour replenishment.

In both the full EV and the PHEV, the battery is positioned under the floor. In the plug-in this reduces load capacity a little compared with the standard Transit, however. Suggestion from Ford is that this isn’t the case with the full electric.

The situation for the the maximum payload is not yet clear. The PHEV in its short roof, low wheelbase version has a 1723kg payload compared with the diesel version’s 1339kg.

Another appeal with the full electric is that it features Ford’s SYNC 4 that can connect to the internet to unlock software subscriptions that help fleets manage charging transactions, telematics services and more.

So who’s buying? It’s clearly less likely to be used on long haul than the traditional models, but that’s not the idea anyway. Ford says E-Transit ideal for urban environments, fixed drive routes and deliveries within geofenced zero-emission driving zones, without requiring fleet owners to pay for excess battery capacity they don’t need.

E-Transit is part of Ford’s more than $11.5 billion global investment in electrification through 2022. The all-new, all-electric Mustang Mach-E and the fully electric F‑150, which starts hitting North American dealers in mid-2022, are also part of this push.