Ford has added to its Transit range with a new stripped-back, electric-only van designed for city centre use.

Aptly called the Transit City, it is the first new name on a Ford Commercial vehicle since the Custom was introduced in 2012. 

It will sit on a dedicated EV platform from Chinese car maker and Ford joint-venture partner Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) and be built at that maker’s plant in Nanchang.

Transit City closely matches the size of the technically unrelated Transit Custom, and while that model is already available with an electric drivetrain (badged E-Transit Custom), Ford says the City is aimed at last-mile delivery fleets and other city operators. 

As such, the new van will come in three body types: a short wheelbase, low roof; and a medium wheelbase, flatbed or chassis cab. 

The latter marks Ford’s first entry into the segment and will open the way for factory-approved conversions. Current partners such as Southampton-based VFS have already been lined up to produce box van and dropside conversions, but other models will follow, including a refrigerated body and a tipper variant available from early 2027.

Despite being a similar size to the £43,600 E-Transit Custom, the Transit City will be positioned close to the starting price of the £27,000 E-Transit Courier. Cost savings have been made by reducing the complexity of the range, which will get no optional extras, said Ford.

The Transit City will get a pared-back level of equipment designed for its intended fleet customers, with a 12.3in touchscreen, manual air conditioning, heated driver’s seat, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a rear-view camera.

Power is delivered by a 148bhp front motor with electricity supplied by a 56kWh LFP battery – smaller than the Custom’s 71kWh pack, again highlighting their different positionings. Range is 158 miles in the most efficient SWB model, and its 87kW charging speed means it can add 31 miles in 10 minutes. The smaller battery means a maximum payload of 1275kg for the medium wheelbase, while the smaller van gets a 1085kg maximum. 

The Transit City shares much of its content with the JMC Touring, but Ford says there are fundamental differences, including the battery and drive layout. 

Order books will open later this month and the first UK deliveries are expected to begin at the end of the year.

George Barrow is the editor of vanreviewer.co.uk and the UK jury member for the International Van of the Year award