Ford Underestimated E-Transit Demand, Racing To Catch Up

April 13, 2023 1:28 pm

The Ford E-Transit has dominated the EV van segment in the U.S. since its launch, closing out 2022 as the best-selling model in that space after leading it month after month throughout the year. On top of that, E-Transit owners have racked up over 12 million miles behind the wheel, saving more than 745,000 gallons of gas and over 4.3 million kg of CO2 when compared to its gas-powered Transit equivalent, according to Ford. However, though it leads this small but growing segment in terms of sales, it seems as if Ford underestimated the demand commercial customers have shown for the E-Transit, prompting it to expand capacity in an effort to catch up, as Fords UK head Tim Slatter recently explained to Reuters.

In addition to admitting that The Blue Oval didn’t quite expect to face the demand that it has for the E-Transit, Slatter noted that boosting EV production across the automaker’s entire lineup is a difficult task, which is precisely why some ICE models – like the Ford Fiesta – are being discontinued to make room for expanded all-electric vehicle production. “It’s a major challenge and you have to take some tough decisions,” Slatter said. “Otherwise you’re just spread too thin.”

Strong EV van demand has become a common theme across the entire industry due to their lower maintenance and operating costs, as other companies including UK last-mile delivery startup Packfleet have customers lining up for them. “As soon as vans arrive dealers call us and we have to move quickly,” said CEO Tristan Thomas. “If we don’t, they’re gone in days.”

As Ford Authority recently reported, the E-Transit is one of a handful of Blue Oval models in the midst of a production ramp up, a list that also includes the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV crossover, the Ford F-150 PowerBoost hybrid, Ford F-150 Lighting, Ford Transit, Ford Bronco Sport, and Ford Maverick – some of which have already seen a sharp increase in units emerging from the automaker’s plants.

We’ll have more on the E-Transit soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Transit news and continuous Ford news coverage.

By Brett Foote

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.