Ford has officially pulled back the curtain on the Transit City, a purpose-built electric van designed to strip away the complexity of urban logistics.

The Transit City is produced in collaboration with Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), a longstanding Ford joint-venture partner in China, on a dedicated EV platform.

The fifth member of Ford’s Transit family, it’s positioned between the smaller E-Transit Courier and the medium-sized E-Transit Custom in terms of pricing.

Billed as “delivering electric efficiency to urban fleets at the right price”, the Transit City is designed to be a simple, ‘no-nonsense’ tool for work, featuring a single, comprehensive standard specification with no optional extras to reduce costs and complexity.

Ford Pro is offering a streamlined ‘single-spec’ approach across three bodystyles:

• L1H1 Van: A compact model with a 6.4m³ volume
• L2H2 Van: A high-roof variant boasting 8.5m³ of volume and a load length over 3,000mm
• Chassis Cab: The first-ever one-tonne electric chassis from Ford, designed for easy factory-approved conversions

The powertrain features a 150hp motor fed by a 56kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery for a targeted range of 158 miles (254km) – more than double the average daily requirement according to Ford – while supporting a payload of up to 1,275kg.

It’s equipped with an onboard 11kW AC charger for a 10-80% charge in around 4.5 hours. The Transit City also offers maximum 87kW DC fast charging, with an average charging power of 67kW, for a 10-80% charge in approximately 33 minutes.

It’s aimed at businesses needing a cost-effective electric van for urban low-emission zone work, as well as last-mile delivery and multi-drop couriers, service, maintenance and repair providers, municipal fleets, utilities and building contractors, and refrigerated delivery fleets.

Ford expects the shift to electric to reduce servicing costs by approximately 40% compared to diesel equivalents, thanks to fewer moving parts and service intervals of two years (or 40,000km). There’s also the potential for reduced energy costs versus diesel, especially through off-peak energy tariffs where available. The Transit City also comes with a warranty on all high-voltage components for eight years or 160,000km.

Standard equipment includes a 12-inch dashboard touchscreen, Apple Carplay and Android Auto compatibility, keyless start, air conditioning, heated driver’s seat, rear-view camera. Drivers also get a one-pedal mode, specifically designed to help reduce driver fatigue in cities Availability.

Order books for the Transit City are set to open in the second quarter of this year, with the first units expected to arrive in Transit Centres by year-end.