The all-electric Ford E-Transit has been named What Car? Van of the Year at the consumer title’s annual Van and Commercial Vehicle Awards.
Judges from Autocar’s sibling brand praised the E-Transit’s 196-mile range, its “effortless” acceleration and its class-leading payload weight of 1760kg.
The E-Transit also won the Best Electric Van and Best Large Van awards.
Ford’s Transit, which was first released in 1965, is Britain's most popular large van, with more than 25,000 sold between January and September this year alone.
It is also helping to popularise electric vans, as the sector continues to grow. In 2021, sales were up by 261.8% compared with the previous year, representing a market share of close to 8.5%.
What Car? deputy editor Darren Moss said: “The Ford E-Transit represents a watershed moment for electric vans.
“With a configuration available to suit most businesses, performance that will help you keep pace with the cut and thrust of urban traffic or get up to motorway speeds quickly, and a long electric range, the E-Transit leads in just about every area.”
The What Car? Van and Commercial Vehicle Awards recognise winners across 10 categories, ranging from small and large vans to pick-up trucks and campervans.
Other award winners included the Dacia Duster Commercial, crowned Best Commercial SUV for its mix of value and practicality, and the Toyota Hilux, named Best Commercial Pick-up Truck for its go-anywhere load-lugging ability.
Other electrified winners included the hybrid Toyota Corolla Commercial, which was named Best Car-based Van, and the electric Volkswagen ID Buzz, which took the Best Van-based MPV prize.
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “This year’s winners show that electric models are catching up with, and even surpassing in some cases, their mainstream rivals.
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