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Ford Transit Custom PHEV revealed in Hannover

The electrified Ford Transit Custom can cover up to 50 kilometres on battery power alone.

Ford has pulled the covers off two electrified vans at the IAA Commercial Vehicle show in Hannover, showcasing a plug-in hybrid mid-size Transit Connect and a larger 48V mild-hybrid Transit.

The Blue Oval has not ruled out an Australian launch, meaning these vehicles could represent Ford Australia's first crack at mainstream electrification.

Internationally, both the van models will go on sale sometime in the middle of 2019.

The Transit Connect PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) makes use of an electric motor that drives the front wheels.

The Transit Connect PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) makes use of an electric motor that drives the front wheels, with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine generating electricity to a 14kWh lithium-ion battery.

Ford claims a 500 kilometre driving range with a full tank of petrol, and a charging time from three hours connected to a 32-amp power supply.

It also boasts a 1000kg payload, and can be driven up to 50 kilometres on battery power alone.

Meanwhile, the two-tonne Transit mHEV (mild-hybrid electric vehicle) uses a belt-driven starter-generator replacing the conventional alternator, providing regenerative braking to an air-cooled lithium-ion battery pack.

The mild-hybrid set-up also adds torque during acceleration, and powers the vehicle's ancillaries to increase efficiency.

Speaking of efficiency, Ford claims the mHev is 3.0 per cent more efficient than the standard diesel variant it's based on, or up to 8.0 per cent in heavy traffic.

Ford Australia product communications manager Damion Smy was unable to make any concrete statements regarding a local launch, however he did say the brand "wouldn't rule anything out".

These vehicles could represent Ford Australia's first crack at mainstream electrification.

He also mentioned that electrification could improve the total running costs and efficiency of the Transit.

"That (cost of ownership) is a really sharp focus for Transit, so if the hybrid was to come in with lower running costs that would be great," he said.

Mr Smy suggested the Transit has strong appeal to brand-conscious buyers, and that the eco-friendly image associated with a hybrid van could help drive sales Down Under.

"A lot of people buy for their particular brand image, so you can buy (Transit) in the colour you want… A lot of it is about the image of the company as well, so that might be where the hybrid might work in that sense," he said.

"We like high-spec vehicles in this market, which is why Transit is the highest-spec model, and sells at a higher price because customers are looking for a better-equipped vehicle."

Should Ford Australia begin to adopt electrified vehicles? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

Haitham Razagui
Contributing Journalist
GoAutoMedia Haitham Razagui (Pron: Hay-thum Ra-zar-ghee) is a journalist and graphic designer. As soon as he could talk, British-born Haitham was impressing relatives with his ability to identify even obscure vehicles and as soon as he could read, he soon built up a large collection of car magazines. He has fond childhood memories of looking forward to Thursday nights when he was allowed to stay up late and watch Top Gear, long before the current hour-long format was even conceived. His writing career also started early, at the age of 16, where he was tasked with producing instruction manuals at a small-town school to help computer illiterate teachers hold IT lessons. Later studying Communication, Authoring and Design at Coventry University, he developed a taste for Italian sports saloons (Lancias Alfas and Fiats), which forced him to learn a lot about vehicle maintenance and the dark art that is automotive electrics. Graduation soon turned into a successful career as a technical writer and information designer. His curiosity and versatility suited the role well and he was able to cover diverse subject matter including software, company procedures, telecommunications, vehicle diagnostics and military hardware - including "very simple" instructions for a mine-clearing device to the US Marines. One project saw him spending a couple of months at Ericsson's R&D centre in Budapest, Hungary and instead of accepting a flight on company expenses, he chose to drive for the opportunity of a road trip and to max his car on Germany's Autobahns. (The tuned Rover 600 Turbo reached 240km/h before the windscreen cracked). An 18 month career break from 2006 saw him riding a Royal Enfield motorbike across India and driving a 1970s Volkswagen Kombi around Australia. Both modes of transport tested Haitham's mechanical skills (and patience) but these qualities also paid off as he was able to work servicing cars and changing tyres for three months in a Perth service centre to fund part of his trip. On his return to the UK in 2008, he carried on writing and designing instruction manuals for two more years before packing it all in and coming back to Australia in early 2010. Puzzling over how to combine his life-long passion for all things automotive with his ability to write, design and organise information, he turned to John Mellor for advice. John’s response was "come and work for me". Haitham worked in the GoAuto newsroom for exactly three years before taking his second big Aussie road-trip and moving to Queensland's Sunshine Coast, where he now works as a freelancer and regularly contributes.
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