Motoring: Ford gets creative with new hybrid Transit Custom van

Ford has come up with an inventive and unusual solution to the problem of commercial vehicle emissions, with this plug-in hybrid derivative of the long-serving Transit van

Ford Transit Custom PHEV is said to go up to 500km with a full tank of fuel and the 1.0-litre engine running to keep the battery pack going. Picture: Charlie Magee

The seismic shift towards electric propulsion and zero-emissions capability is not only affecting passenger cars, but also commercial vehicles. So how do trade and commerce continue long-term with diesel-powered vans?

Various manufacturers are trying their hand at interim solutions to this issue, and Ford is the latest with a plug-in hybrid variant of the Transit Custom panel van.

It’s an unusual series hybrid set-up as while there is both an electric propulsion motor and a ...