**Ford E-Transit** How far can you drive when it's loaded down?

[@haldo691]

Some of the comments on here are hilarious people are genuinely offended that you have an electric transit. I currently drive a diesel transit in the UK I do roughly 250miles a week so I'd happily have an electric transit I'm pretty sure il get one in the next couple years when my company replace mine. Thanks for a great real world review nice to see a real working persons opinion rather than a motoring journalist

[@martinnilsson5295]

And i drive 200 miles average a day mostly highway. I cant buy this it wont work,even tough my customers want me to

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

Same here in the “Hypocrite, Sexist, Racist Belt” of the USA. I’ll be getting one soon and charging from solar. Calling out men of no integrity for their cheating or driving an EV puts a smile on my face and warms my heart. Both really irritate these pos.

[@heathwirt8919]

Had a delivery job summer between High School and College, drove a box van and delivered electronic gear (speakers, amplifiers etc.) in and around a big city and several suburbs. In an eight hour day the run added up to about 80 miles give or take. This E-Transit would have been perfect for this task and a lot cheaper to operate.

[@quantumphaser]

This is a fantastic video. I salute you for being an early adopter of this technology. 😎👍

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thanks!

[@MikeB4pl]

Electric cars were most of cars on the earth in XIX century --- there were early adopters of this technology already. First electric car is dated at ~1832, first rechargeable ~1859. 1899 first car reached record speed 100 kilometers per hour (~62 mph) -- electic car. In USA alone during XIX and early XX century there were over 1800 !! companies that were manufacturing electric cars. Baker Motor Vehicle, Frichtle, Detroit Electric, Columbia Electric, Studebacker, Babcock, Landsen, Columbus, Woods etc.

[@geneva760]

HA HA

[@JoshSmith-vm6nx]

Thanks for taking the time to go in depth with a video about this. Important to see real world conditions with trades use.

[@jdlutz1965]

Thank you for doing this extensive video for the trades who may be hesitant to go with an EV. The benefits of on board power and cost savings should outweigh the concerns and "what about?" questions.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Glad you liked it!

[@jorad4887]

Your a winner, most testers are so dumb and not test many vehicles in real time, you did just that and not describing the cuteness and the quality of the ride. You didn't go into the cosmetic side you went objective scientific research and analysis mode! Thank you!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thank you. We figured it would be nice to provide honest feedback rather than the typical fluff.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

If you're not subscribed, you should. We have an absolute banger coming out next!

[@robertdavenport7802]

Appreciate the very comprehensive real-world testing. It will be interesting to see how long term maintenance costs compare vs gas. I'd expect you will save money there as well.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We do too!

[@mikeb516]

@@SmedleyPlumbing It will be a lot... for starter... you'll have a hard time wearing the brakes out.. also keep those tires aired up

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@mikeb516 always!

[@johnwang9914]

​@@mikeb516Well, you'd want to use the brakes enough to abrade away the rust and keep the rotors smooth. Eventually we'll see corrosion resistant alloys and ceramics with EV's not using the brakes much but I suspect replacing brake rotors simply due to them being roughed up by corrosion will be and has been a thing till manufacturers decide it's a problem they will benefit from if they addressed it. We already drive our ICS sedan so infrequently now that we've had to replace rotors already which never happened back when we commuted. It isn't that there isn't enough material to corrode but the dealership mechanic simply thinks resurfacing wouldn't be enough as it simply hasn't been constantly ground down by the pads.

[@wesleyssondesousa2448]

Thanks for the video, it was very helpful. I carry pretty much the same tools and fittings as you, except for the water heater. Im ordering one as soon as I can.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

You won't regret it!

[@AprilSpina2233]

Hello Mr. De Sousa! My name is April. I too watch the Smedley Plumbing channel in order to obtain real life ratios on the E- Transit as it has helped reassured our customers. I am a sales representative at Ford Lincoln of Queens. I would love to further discuss your transportation needs, send me an email at [e-mail]. P.S. I have a couple units in stock that I would like to review with you!

[@maraudermanmarauderman7161]

Great video. I'm not sure about the E-Transit, but on my PHEV Ford I was able to set my home as a charging location, and set your home as a destination in the navigation system. Hopefully that will eliminate it trying to send you to a public charger when you are on the way home. The other thing it should then do is if you get home and forget to plug it in, it will send you a message through the app and an email, if you want, reminding you that it needs to be plugged in.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Great stuff!

[@mfl950]

Q

[@richardsanchez7709]

Great idea, I’m implementing a new software change asap😊

[@nicklegg61]

Hi I am picking my EV TRANSIT in a weeks time .this is the 1st time I have driven a EV van and I'm looking forward to it. I have watched many vids on the van.but I will say yours is the best by far. Reason being you are a business that informs me in a real world what the pros and cons are. Nice one.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

That's was the whole purpose! You're gonna love it!

[@MrKlawUK]

won’t work for everyone, but people need to have open minds for the many businesses this will work for. Many do less than 100 miles per day; servicing by Ford in the UK is half the price of a gas transit; fuelling is cheaper - and even more if you have a workplace with solar&battery fitted; for cities with emission limits this will also save money/convenience (increasingly rolling out in Europe at least)

[@Magicinstalls]

Thank You Mitch for all the great information on this Van. Also, if I may say you seem like a great guy to work for. As mentioned in my other comment, I got my surprise delivery from UTAH to CA on Wed May 18 at 7:30 AM. 4 days after my credit union funded the loan! Since then I've been working every day in the van. Many late nights setting it up and transferring all my tools/shelving for my Mercedes Metris. I was so lucky to find this van for 2K over MSRP from Performance Ford in Bountiful UT. The van was just as I would have ordered it. According to the Ford dealer, My only other alternative was to wait for the '23 order banks to open and wait a year. That may or may not be true after all, they have to justify their ridicules MSRP markups. My only disappointment is the van doesn't have passive locks, and I have to actively remember to lock the van. One touch opens. Seems strange that they would not include this feature. Perhaps there is an aftermarket solution? Subscribed...

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Mine has passive locks. You should be able to touch the door handle when you leave and the vehicle will lock automatically.

[@johneric98]

Thanks for a great and informative video! You have been touching all the bases. I am looking forward to seeing more info from you! Good luck!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We have a few more fun videos planned.

[@EvanVanVan]

Very informative video, thank you. Couple of questions, 1. Do you charge it to 100% everytime you're taking it out? and 2. How is the range anxiety? You were calm and collected in the video, but it had to be stressful only having 1 mile of range left. I want to order an E-transit for our next work van but I don't know if I could deal with range anxiety daily.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yes we charge to 100% every night. Range anxiety isn't an issue for us. We were intentionally running this one low to see what happens. We typically never exceed 70-80 miles per day. So we still have plenty of range left each day.

[@EvanVanVan]

@@SmedleyPlumbing Great, thank you!

[@keithdygert1120]

What’s your range in cold weather? Do you ever wish you had the extra room in the extended length Transit? Do you have to have a 10’ tall garage door for that van? Thanks from another plumber!

[@michaelphillips7054]

Im an electrician, did you say broom ? Why would we need that again? Lol 😆

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Lol

[@fpartidafpartida]

Curious if you’ve seen a lot more L2 charging installation jobs lately?

[@itsjaynguyen]

Facts

[@PeaceChanel]

Thank You for supporting Electric Vehicles and for All that you are doing for our Planet Earth.... Peace.. Shalom.. Salam.. Namaste 🙏🏻 😊 🌈 ✌ ☮ ❤

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thanks for stopping in!

[@juliand5553]

Both Ford E Transit Van video's are excellent and really good to see it being used in USA in real working environment to see what ranges you are getting, it would be interesting to see what it is like when it is very cold in winter. Here in Europe they are just about to be launched. Ford have really been working very hard on Electric vehicles and the Ford F-150 Lightning is amazing at the $40,000 start price and the ranges they offer. In Europe Stellantis (RAM is the US brand) has just released a version of a small van with a Hydrogen Fuel cell along with batteries and the it takes 3 mins to fill up the hydrogen tanks and has 249 miles range. The other interesting point about the Ford Transit is that in Europe they are 99% Diesel powered as MPG's are much higher as petrol per US gallon costs $7.97 in the UK currently so on your 13.5 mpg one mile costs $0.30 in USA and $0.60 in the UK! The Ford Transit has been in existence here since 1965 and most people refer to 7,000 - 10,000lb vans as Transits even when it is a Mercedes, VW, Citroen, Fiat, Renault product. My son is an electrician and has a vacuum cleaner rather than a broom!!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We can't wait to do a range test in the winter

[@bryanayers6104]

Fuel cells do worse in cold weather, cold climates

[@foodhatesme]

Gas varies a lot in the states it's $4.20 where I live. Also electricity cost will rise dramatically as electric cars take over the market.

[@juliand5553]

@@SmedleyPlumbing When you do the cold/winter test one tip to maximise range is that Ford has battery conditioning so just plug in the charger for 10 mins prior to driving out of your garage on those cold mornings this will mean that you are not wasting battery power where it try's to heat up the batteries as this will have been done directly from the mains.

[@juliand5553]

@@bryanayers6104 It will be interesting to see Hyundai have 46 Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell 36 metric ton (80,000 lb) trucks running in Switzerland which gets fairly cold in winter and there will be 30 of these into California next year. Other hydrogen 'big rig' trucks are 10 Kenworth/Toyota Hydrogen trucks operating out Los Angeles Port and the Mercedes-Benz hydrogen GenH2 Truck has been certified for sale so it will be interesting to see how these all do. Maybe Mitch could be doing range tests on Hydrogen vans in the future!!

[@onedankind8168]

While the fuel savings is amazing. The upfront cost is also double. Saving 300$ a month still takes a really long time to break even. Not to mention the increased insurance for higher priced vehicles. I know you save in other ways too. But currently the only EV that seems cost effective will be the trucks. As trucks are already really expensive. I'm excited for all the EVs. I'm looking at starting my own business. But I just can't justify 70k Canadian for a work van up front.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Cost me $21,000 less to purchase than the three other gas transits I bought this year. The main reason for that is because gas transits are pulling a premium right now due to the shortage but I was able to buy the e-transit at MSRP. There is also a 7500 tax credit for the e-transit. Also, the e-transit is costing me about 25% less than the gas transits to ensure. The price of the vehicle has far less to do with the insurance costs then you might think. Insurance companies have some pretty impressive algorithms to determine How likely a person is to crash based off of the type of vehicle they select. Apparently they think that EV owners are safer drivers. Lol

[@ben3989]

It’s basically the same cost as a gas transit. Which gas van are you comparing this to?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@ben3989 try buying a gas Transit for MSRP right now. They are selling for upper 60's and lower 70's.

[@TheBlackWaltz]

@@ben3989 There is a microchip shortage world wide for quite some time now. All of these cars have computers in them. So popular vehicles are at a premium right how because they're not rolling out. Because the vast majority of van buyers will still be buying a gas van, they will sell very quickly. So dealers jack the price up. Ev isn't as popular yet, so the ones that are made stick around longer and they can't jack the price up.

[@jeremyobe1]

I appreciate the feedback. I didn’t know about the reduction, and no one at the dealership mentioned it to me. And I didn’t really see anything when I was researching online. Luckily, I should still have a few miles left, even at my lowest point Thanks again for the video. It really was helpful in me purchasing my vehicle and making the decision

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Some common tricks that you can do for cold weather are scheduling your departure times and the van will precondition the battery as long as it's hooked up to a charger in the hour before you leave. That gets the battery up to the proper temperature and is using shore power to do that instead of battery power to do that. Another general best practice is to only use L mode in the city and to not use L mode during intermediate driving or highway driving. I've been fortunate enough to have lengthy conversations with some executives at Ford. It was a unanimous agreeance that the van is more efficient out of El mode and with the proper use of coasting. This is because you can activate mild versions of L mode by tapping the brakes once or twice.

[@jeremyobe1]

this is very helpful , again, thank you for taking the time to tell me all that. I will defiantly put that information to use. @@SmedleyPlumbing

[@-Enginerd]

Electric vehicles are more efficient in urban driving than highway driving for two main reasons. They get to take advantage of regenerative braking which puts energy back into the battery pack, but also because aerodynamic losses are significantly less. Remember, drag goes up with the square of velocity. Ballpark numbers are there are 35 lbf pushing back on the high top Transit at 30 mph and 140 lbf at 60 mph from aerodynamic drag. Double the speed, four times the force. That's why slowing down just 5 mph on the highway significantly improves your efficiency, no matter the vehicle's fuel source.

[@robertdavenport7802]

The other equation affecting gas mileage or kwh/mile is rolling resistance, where weight increases rolling resistance linearly. It's interesting that just using the 'L' mode and eco mode while driving offset the increased 2000 lbs of weight during his test.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yeah we have found speed to be a significantly larger factor to range than weight.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

So we haven't found weight to effect range at all. More weight means more to get rolling. But it also means more weight to use for regenerative braking. Seems to be a net equal.

[@BrianJohnsonBfreejohnson]

Thank you for doing this excellent real-use video. Very useful info.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thank you!

[@ELCEV]

This van is a great idea, it really needs to be up around 200 mile range min. to be practical for mass use. I am sure over time vans will be 400 mile range plus, then they will even extend into RV use.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

70+ miles appeals to the majority of van users in America. We just have a hard time seeing that local delivery services are the majority of users.

[@arasb3258]

It's crazy that the math for this decision changed so much in just the 2 weeks that this video has been out!!! 6.6.2022, I'm paying 5.00 x 32 gallons = 160.00 for a full tank from almost empty. And even if I got 15 miles to the gallon city, that's still 1 dollar for just 3 miles!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yeah electric rates are very stable.

[@ThoughtsfromTOM]

Thank you for the test results, I have made up my mind this is the way to go for service vehicles!!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thank you!

[@natehill8069]

Be really interesting to see 1, 5, 10 and 20 year updates on this. How much charging does it take, what capacity is still left, did anything break etc. Obviously this would take a while...

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We're here for it. We're still using the van daily 18 months later.

[@andrewm255]

Would be interested to see how the range changes during the winter?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We are too. We'll keep you posted!

[@tightmarker9924]

Great video again thanks. Do you know yet how much it costs to charge? Compare costs of fuel per day or week. I'm in ireland and our electricity costs are just going up and up . Over 60 percent increase since last October. Thanks very taking the time and effort to post these videos. 👍👍

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We did a video on that exact topic. These are using our actual energy rates. So feel free to plug in your own numbers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqSVoGiij8eYsNU

[@stormyacrefarms6816]

Thanks for this video, Got a call from my Ford dealer. My van arrived today.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

You're going to love it!

[@benstouffer]

Please share your experience. I just subscribed to your channel. I just got mine Friday the 13th.

[@stormyacrefarms6816]

@@SmedleyPlumbing I think this is by far the best real world review of the E transit online. I think you covered most questions. 90% of all level 2 charging stations in my area are listed as free. Good to know if i run low. My E-250's get about 12 mpg at best and puts my fuel cost of about $250-300 a week at $4.35 gallon in Virginia beach.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@stormyacrefarms6816 sounds like it's going to be perfect for you! Enjoy!

[@Magicinstalls]

How exciting! I had to order mine from UTAH. My local dealers were charging 10-25 k OVER MSRP! Finished the paperwork last Saturday and they said it would be delivered in 5-10 business days. I got a call on last Wed morning from an 801 number, and they said my new van was 45 minutes away! I had a full day that day, but that didn't stop me from loading all my essentials in my new van and going to work! Been loving it ever since!

[@joebass5163]

Great video for comparing gas to EV fueling costs and use case. Do they come with heated seats? Much more efficient to use heated seats during the winter and keep cabin heater usage to a minimum.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

I don't see a button for heated seats on mine but it's possible that maybe heated seats come on automatically when you turn on the cabin heat.

[@arthuriuss7133]

....you can have a solar instalation at your house or even in the Van itself.......... game changing....

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

True. Solar charges the van very slowly though.

[@glassman1533]

My main question I have about the E-Transit is this: Assuming 750 miles driven/week (150 miles/day-5 days per week), 50 weeks/year (37500 miles) and a battery life which normally will last about 100,000 miles, this means that you will have to replace the battery every 2.75 years. New batteries are not cheap. Is the cost savings from operation offset the costs of having to purchase a new battery that often?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Keep in mind that the batteries don't typically fail completely. The batteries may lose performance over time which may affect your overall range. But it's not likely to all of a sudden just not work one day and leave you stranded. Also, based off your local fuel prices and electrical prices, you will most likely have saved far more than what a battery replacement might cost. I'm saving $90+ for every 350 miles compared to a gas Transit. That comes to a little over $25,000 saved just on fuel expenses over that 100,000 miles. This doesn't include other savings like oil changes and other maintenance that gas vehicles require.

[@minibx6659]

Having 100 k warranty on the battery doesn’t mean that the battery only last 100,000 miles, in fact , with good cooling management the battery will last past 200k miles , there are electric cars with more than 200 k miles out there, you will loose capacity over that period of time but if you take care of the battery it won’t be much, so 250 k miles is totally doable, even more

[@bryanayers6104]

@@SmedleyPlumbing And you enjoy a limited plumbing service range.

[@ben3989]

Do you really drive 37,000 miles a year for a contracting business? That’s insane!!

[@bryanayers6104]

@@ben3989 Some of us drive more than that per year... I average ~60k miles/year

[@pscott49]

Thank you for your reviews on the new E Transit! I have a carpet cleaning business and I was waiting to see what the real world range would be.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Feel free to follow along. We'll do more videos in the near future with more real-world experiences of the van.

[@pscott49]

@@SmedleyPlumbing I subscribed so I can see how it’s going. Best of luck.

[@michaeljkasnter]

No Way !!! Love this my fellow Plumbing Contractor!!!!!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Plumb on!

[@telocity]

Great video! Weird though, my old 2010 iMiev had 16kWh battery. It would take just under 11hrs to recharge from zero on 110v standard. Your battery pack is 4x larger, so I would think 44 hrs, not 70hrs, must be something weird on the Ford 110v plug. As you most likely know, charger is in the VAN, the plugs are basically high tech circuit breakers, at least the ones in the bag.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

It's all about amperage

[@avirobers7271]

Hey thank you for share those videos and I really like the idea you that your employees for breakfast I work 10 hours 12 hours a day and we don't buy for anything sometimes they buy us Donuts but that's it you must be going really good and thank you for sharing everything and your videos God bless you your family and your company

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thanks! We love taking care of our people.

[@Mosquito3314]

well I would say a proper calculation for Ev is to also include whatever your Electric company charges for delivery. Here in NJ, the electricity cost about 12-14 cents but they also charge another 12-14 cents for delivery bringing the total to about .24 cents per KWH. Now if its .05 with delivery well then thats awesome.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

It's a flat delivery charge that's already being paid by our preexisting electric bill each month. So it's just $0.05!

[@Mosquito3314]

@@SmedleyPlumbing well shit, in that case amazing. Appreciate the info.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

25:44 Remember, the force of drag is proportional to the square of your speed. Yes, you do get some efficiency losses with ICE and drivetrain, but the main reason you are more efficient at 15 to 25 mph in an EV is because of the enormous reduction in drag. The outside air temperature makes a difference too. These batteries, like us enjoy 70°F. When you increase or decrease the temperature 30 to 40°, it reduces your range.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

This is all very true

[@ElectroAtletico]

An HVAC business in my area leased one to test. The rest of their fleet is standard Ford Transit with high roof. They used it only within 10-15 miles of the home base because of the short range. They're not going to renew that lease.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yeah EV ownership is a mindset shift. And some people enter EV ownership with the wrong mindset and therefore they will never see success with it. They either enter EV ownership assuming they'll get more range than what is advertised or that it's as easy to fuel up as a gas vehicle. But either which way, if you enter that with the wrong mindset you will be frustrated every time.

[@jamesgpr1]

Well explained good honest real review great content James uk

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thanks!

[@johnwang9914]

Well the load will affect how much energy is required to accelerate and decelerate and regen braking only recovers some of this energy but just traveling at a constant speed, the load wouldn't matter so much, of course driving at a constant speed is often not what drivers do. Electric delivery vehicles have been effective for over a generation with say UK milk delivery trucks. It's just a matter of getting used to the EV's and trying not to drag race with all the available torque. Pity you're not local, your video shows that you're professional, well equipped and proactive in a changing economy. We consumers are often just hoping for the best when we need help but videos like this can help us sort out if we're dealing with a professional who's probably competent. Whether or not EV's are right for a business, you've shown that you've given thought to how your trucks are laid out and just trying out the e-transit shows that you are unbiased in researching for the future.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Exactly!

[@johnobrien403]

When are you going to go metric?, your doing a good job in this video,one of the best I have seen.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thanks! Go metric?

[@brianlittle717]

When you reset your mileage to try to get an average fuel usage, it did not consider your having to accelerate to achieve that speed. You reset it while you were already moving.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

These are small scale tests. There will always be small variables like hills and acceleration that can make a difference.

[@natehill8069]

I think they call it "L" mode to present to people used to gas/automatic cars that this will slow you down like "L" did in those old cars. So it doesnt actually stand for anything. I get so used to it that when I drive a gas car and lift off I am like "wth? why isnt it slowing?"

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yep

[@robertehrenworth3310]

Good video; many useful tips and specs.. dig the blues music too! ;-)

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thanks. Make sure to subscribe for some awesome stuff coming soon!

[@AndrewStead-i9h]

Keep in mind a ladder rack would add significant drag

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Not as much as you would think. Also not to many people putting laser racks on high roof vans.

[@nev2844]

We have same configuration van had it for 11months already 18,000 miles no issues what so ever, i used it for electrical service average 100 mile day super happy. I can see getting up to 140mile in a good warn day. How is your van doing ? I watch lots your video before decide it to buy it.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Ours is doing great. We use it daily as an install van currently.

[@Johnson13210]

What if work is slow in your town, and you have to send your guys to the next town over to get work will an electric van still work? Or drive one way to a commercial project over 100 miles one way? Also, instead of eating lunch in a restaurant you brought your lunch to save money and ate in the van taking a break for 30min. with the air conditioning running because its hot outside how much range will it eat up?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

The ranges has to work for your business for sure. Also, ac doesn't use batteries much. Heat absolutely does though.

[@jonesmechanical]

Great video. It would be good to let people know that charging stations on average are 10-15x more than home electrical use. I have a hvac business, 20 vans. Mostly new awd cab chassis transit vans with reading or knaphied utility beds on them. We are also seeing about 13-14 mpg average. Our gvwr is similar to this loaded e transit. It would he an interesting proposition if range was more, awd was an option, and a cab chassis was also an option. I'm so done crawling into a loaded van to get to tools. Tools on outside bins is a game changer. That said, my awd vans as of last week cost $69,900 with the beds. Recharging costs at a charging station between 30 and 60 cents per kwh is terrible. Now a recharge is $60-80. Poof, there goes savings. Funny. You said you had it a week, and said you had 800 miles on it, so if you actually told us what you spent at chargers that would be good info. Doing 800 miles in a week, you were going to chargers a lot. Expecting plumbers to manage their charging.....lol, they often forget the other two rules of plumbing besides payday Friday. Wash your hands before lunch, and water flows downhill.

[@joebass5163]

The best thing to do is have 240 volt outlets wherever the vans will be parked overnight. You'll charge at much lower rates. The only time someone should be using dc fast charging is on road trips. Even if you have to stop and use a pay charger it would be wise to get enough charge to get to home base which would be less than the $30-60 you are quoting. As with anything that is recharged it becomes habit to plug in when they parked. We have electric fork lifts and tugs at work and they are plugged in after each shift.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

You have to put a charging plan together for the purchase to make sense. Charging nightly where the rates are manageable is key. Charging where the van already parks overnight is also key. If you're people take their vans home nightly, then install chargers at their home. Then reimburse them for the energy consumption. The nicer charges will provide you a report of how many kWh's were used over a given period.

[@hirprimate941]

Can you sit in it and do your paperwork with the AC on for 20-30 min during the hot summer? Love that high roof. I have a short roof transit and hit my head 3 times a week.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yes. You'll get a message that pops up letting you know it's about to time-out but you can press "ok" and get more time.

[@socalrefrigeration548]

This is what I was looking for. Thank you.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

You bet!

[@12799MaDeuce]

That brake-tap setting is weird. I had a rental Hyundai EV recently, and it had paddle shifters that let you increase/decrease how much regen braking you got. All EVs should have that feature, it was super useful.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Ford does this through the brake tapping. Makes sense for me because tapping the pedal is how you would slow down anyway. Or you can set it to L mode and have full Regen all the time.

[@frankcapparelle6184]

Thank you for the video. I am looking at the ETransit to haul air filters. Did you do any range testing prior to outfitting? My cargo is essentially large feathers. I am wondering how much the extra weight hampered your range.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Here you go! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHmrdWuQqayKb9U

[@CatesCube]

So very enjoyable video and very informative!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thanks!

[@bill29456]

Good video: just a note on your load capacity is that it also includes people. So really if your the main person driving, you should have weighed in on the loaded weight. So don't hire and heavy technicians, they eat (or already have) into your cargo capacity.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

I figured that since I was a constant, I could either be in the vehicle or out, as long as it was the same for both tests.

[@shawncell1247]

Really like the video. You should never run battery that low, or it could be pending doom for the battery . take good care of your equipment and don't do it again . I know i have been driving electric for the past 10 years . My battery is in great shape.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yeah this was for educational purposes only

[@B86432]

Debating on doing an all electric landscape setup like this

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Do it!

[@MrKlawUK]

Does it let you leave the AC on while you’re parked up going into a store? I love that on my EV just for that 10-15 mins to avoid coming back to a hot cabin

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yes it does.

[@1stchoicejohn]

Great comment about the broom and electricians. How much less mileage do you get when your using the heater? We get down to -5 F here.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Range can drop as much as 20% in cold weather. Depends on how cold and how much you're using the heater.

[@TrickyGnosis]

Glad youre enjoying the vans. Great video too. These have always treated us well in the winter time and the instant heat is a godsend. Im curious to hear how the morning pre-conditioning goes in the winter months. Heated seats?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

No heated seats. No preconditioning needed either since it's stored indoors.

[@kartuneman]

I have a standard wheelbase medium roof. MAX range on mine is 119 miles!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Depends on how you drive it.

[@BlueHasia]

Do you have a video how you add the the shelves and storage for the van. Im coming from a work truck and want to get this van. My big thing is i carry a lot of ladders to. 3ft, 6ft, 8ft and extension ladder. I forsee i will not be able to carry all my ladders Sadly

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We just bolted them to the walls and the floor. We use American Van for our shelving and bulkheads

[@my93vr4]

why factory not installing solar panels on whole roof ? if would help for sure too a little

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Solar panels don't help much at all. So the investment isn't worth the return.

[@dansmith6909]

Am an electronics guy not an electrician but even so, had to chuckle at the broom. All the yes. Haha.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

You know what we're talking about!

[@dansmith6909]

Not in my job description :D

[@noktoxicmind6714]

Great video. Curious to know how long would the charge last with the van stopped but with AC on? Important info for being in south Florida (awfully hot) and waiting for hours at a time in the van

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

It would depend on the charger output. The AC doesn't seem to have a big of an impact on the range so it shouldn't impact the charge times by a large margin.

[@noktoxicmind6714]

@@SmedleyPlumbing Thanks for the reply. I didn't mean when it's charging though. Just parked somewhere with the AC running. I guess it would be an odd thing guesstimate

[@ampedampson5140]

@@noktoxicmind6714 not a 1 for 1 comparison but my Tesla Model 3 loses 1% of battery every hour I leave the AC running on a hot summer day

[@noktoxicmind6714]

@@ampedampson5140 That's amazing. I'm guessing the van can't be too far off, even if it's as high as 10% an hour would be ok. Thanks!

[@CatesCube]

Do you carry any electric device to allow you to charge your vehicle should you be out of range of a charging station? If so what brand do you use? How long does it take to charge this vehicle when you go to the EV stations?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

There is a factory charger that stays in the van. Charging time depends on the type of charger and the available amperage.

[@FandFcustomcarts]

Nice videos! , I'm following and liking your videos , thumb up!!! . My van does 10.5 MPG v8 5.4 E350 , we pay about 15 cents x kilowatts Here in florida , I got my house almost 100% on solar , but my numbers to be more exact in what's kilowatts vs Miles x gallon I have to be around 45 to 55 MPG to be comparable with FPL cost x kilowatts.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Look into the off peak rates. I set ours to charge at night when the rates are super cheap.

[@FandFcustomcarts]

@@SmedleyPlumbing thank you!!!

[@benstouffer]

Perfect timing I have my first fully loaded trip tomorrow.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Have fun!

[@stewartchen4104]

Thank you for the review of the e-Transit. I have a gas 2018 transit. Do you have any information on the initial cost of the gas vs e-Transit with similar equipment. Thank you.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We paid $56k for the E-transit compared to $69k that we paid for gas transits this year.

[@computersales]

Well nice to know with more aggressive regen the added weight is a benefit. They really need to up that range though. Unless your goal is to burn the battery out as fast as possible it isn't practical trying to get the maximum range capabilities in daily use.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

All depends on your daily mileage but nightly recharging is intended with the vehicle.

[@computersales]

I believe the general rule of thumb is to run the battery between 80-20% for best health. It occasionally should be put through a full charge cycle to prevent "memory" issues like the old nickel metal hydride batteries used to suffer from. For long trips it's common to run through most of a pack's range.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@computersales from the console, you can adjust the maximum charge rate of the battery. However, it seems there is a considerable safety factor built in. The dash claims an average of 2.1 miles per kWh and we hit zero miles to empty at 135 miles. It's a 68 kWh battery. 68x2.1=142.8 miles. So hitting zero miles to empty isn't fully recharging the battery. Also, the battery has an 8-year/100,000 mile warranty. That's a big claim for a vehicle that's intended to be fully recharged nightly.

[@computersales]

@@SmedleyPlumbing Finally had a chance to test drive one. It drives better than the regular transit in the wind which is nice. When looking under the van they clearly just slapped it together to rush it out. I can't believe they have the high voltage and cooling lines exposed. I think it would be interesting if you made a follow up video in a few months showing in great detail on how the undercarriage holds up.

[@jeremyobe1]

this is interesting and was really helpful. i actually bought one of these with the help of this video. i love the electric truck. Although i have a question To the creator of the video … why have you not posted anything about how much the range is reduced once the weather gets cold. ford promises 120 mile range. i got 130 in the summer. and now in November i’m down to 104 in 32 degree weather. i will probably be down further as winter roles in. i can not find any thing on the internet about this crazy reduction in range due to winter and fords lack of insight on this. if someone is baseing a 110 mile day, than this is not the van for you if you live in a cold climate. shame on ford for not disclosing this information. i think all. electric vehicular should have a temperature range sticker on the car to let people know what the average range is in a specific temperatures. just like a highway city tag on gas cars. please let me know what your van is getting in the winteronths to make sure there isn’t something wrong with mine. thank you

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Ford did great with the advertised range. They advertise a 106 mile range for our unit and we see 120-140 miles of range in the summer and 100 in the winter. It's pretty common knowledge that EVs will see a 20-30% reduction in range during the winter.

[@brianlittle717]

Some houses only have a 100 amp service. Or if the house is all electric, the box is already maxed out. How do you install these at your employees’ houses? What if they live in an apartment? How do they charge?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

It wouldn't be suitable for either of those applications. Chargers can be installed in employees homes and the employee reimbursed for the power usage.

[@brianlittle717]

@@SmedleyPlumbing yeah we had a 200 amp service with a total of 25 kw of electric Heat and 2 electric water heaters. When we built our addition, we had to upgrade to a 400 watt service and bury an additional service wire underground. That would be a huge expense to put into an employee’s house for sure!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@brianlittle717 yeah I wouldn't advise upgrading panels to make it happen in an employee home. Doing that at the shop is one thing. But in an employee home is totally different.

[@brianlittle717]

@@SmedleyPlumbing so you would give a gas burner to that employee correct? I just see problems with this in general. If we move to all electric, then an employee’s charging ability may be a key factor in his ability to find a job or work his way up the ranks. Or maybe he has to leave his plugged up at the shop and commute when he’s on call. But if a company does that and has 5-10 vehicles charging at night, all at once, what kind of electrical demand would that need? For that matter, how would a high rise condo building provide for the demand of having 2 or 300 cars plugging up after the work day? I see it as a good solution for certain instances, and they are good for some things, but it can’t be the 100% way of the future. One flaw for you specifically, I know how many times I’ve come home after a hard day’s work, and then had to take another call as soon as I hit the driveway. You wouldn’t make it.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@brianlittle717 yeah some employees need a gas van, others can work with the EV. We have never missed a call due to needing to charge either. It's one of those things that we think will be a problem but it never occurs like we think it will.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

Thanks for the video. I’ll be buying an EV work van within the next two years. I am kind of waiting for the bugs to get worked out of the infrastructure and vehicles. If you were choosing a vehicle today or in the near future, would you choose the Ford transit high top again or something else?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

I would absolutely buy the E Transit again. But also, you shouldn't need to be relying on the public infrastructure for this vehicle to work. For this vehicle to be an effective vehicle in your business you need the ability to work with the range each day and charge each night. I can think on two occasions in the last 2 years where we needed to use a public charger. If we had to rely on public charging then this vehicle would make no sense for us.

[@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity]

@@SmedleyPlumbing I have 47kW of solar, totally off-grid. I have just barely enough to make it through the winter with my house and shop. During the summer when I’m the busiest in HVAC, I make about three times what I really use for the house and shop. And I have five heat pump systems total. Like you, I work a 20 mile radius, but occasionally will make a 3-4 hr trip. I also need to put a few more miles on my 3/4T Express ICE. Glad I came up on your site, you look like you have a very professional business, very organized like myself.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@USA-GreedyMenOfNoIntegrity thanks!

[@henrikcsuri]

Thanks for the indepth review.. I wonder how much will using the heater effect range. I have a Chevy Bolt and the heater can "eat up" 10-20% range depending on how cold it is outside. I also wonder how well did Ford build the system and if the battery will degrade with time, especially with using almost 100% daily. I wonder if they will come out with a longer range version later, because these would be perfect as campers.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Only time will tell!

[@johncledd8063]

@@SmedleyPlumbing thanks Sherlock

[@MorriesWigShop]

Look! A broom! Haha Mine has a dustpan with it. Doggin’ electricians. I’ve followed behind some plenty messy plumbers. Great content!

[@ArtOfHealth]

Do you think the 89V battery giving close to 159 miles on a low roof would matter to you very much? Thank you. I am looking at the 2023 HR extra long 350 with the 68V battery. I want a van, not a car or truck!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Wouldn't matter to us but it works for some!

[@phillipgreen8958]

Loved the video. How do you work out charging for all your employees vans? Normal every employee has a gas card for the gas van. All chargers in town require you to pay in their personal app. Can you pay for a charger with a gas card in the apps? What do you do? And I’m sure they are all charging at home. Do you make up for their home charging?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Currently I'm the only one with the E-Transit. But they make home chargers that can be programmed with the electric rates and that will email the company the usage and reimbursement about each month.

[@phillipgreen8958]

@@SmedleyPlumbing how would you go about it if they hade to charge during the day?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@phillipgreen8958 you can set up accounts with the charging networks. The driver holds their phone to a charger to activate the charger and the energy cost is charged against whatever card is on file. Similar to a fleet fuel card for gas stations.

[@henrikcsuri]

Have you done any comparison on consumption at different highway speeds? 55, 65, 75

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Not specifically. But we do know that the faster you go, the worse the range. And it's exponential.

[@skyemalcolm]

@@SmedleyPlumbing does ford connect your van’a data to an account where you can see each trip’s mileage, speed and kWh consumed? And if you could link that up to the charging data that would be nice to help track things. Both to catch the odd speed demon driver and also to help catch battery degradation issues.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@skyemalcolm you can do all that through Ford telematics.

[@skyemalcolm]

@@SmedleyPlumbing maybe I didn’t see it if you made it already but it could be interesting to make a video about reviewing that data. I see a lot of EV videos that focus on the driving and charging experience but far fewer on the data analysis or even data analytics that these connected vehicles offer. I’ve never used Ford’s software but with Kia’s system it’s possible to export the data such that you can analyze it and graph it in your favorite spreadsheet software.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@skyemalcolm so I don't have Ford telematics just yet. Since we only have the one EV in the fleet and I'm the driver, I can track my behavior on my own.

[@wayneroadarmel235]

for all the complainers , get a hybrid and you still have the gas motor no range bound and only charge at home over night on 15 amp, circuit,

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yeah a hybrid transit would be interesting for sure

[@ZeBoy85]

What does broom mean? uh the reason you have that sweepy thingy is because it’s your job like all you labourers you follow us around and sweep up after us right? At least that’s my understanding of it!

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yeah electricians are notoriously messy

[@brianlittle717]

That is impressive though that you can park a high roof in your garage though.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yeah! Benefits of building my own home!

[@n8inc924]

What are you spending a month vs the gas model?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Here ya go! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqSVoGiij8eYsNU

[@sirgardensalot]

What's your thoughts on the E transit in snow

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

All transits do well in the snow if they're loaded down like ours are. They are useless when they're empty though.

[@marvellstarks2434]

This the video I been searching gor. I want to see if I can run my handyman business in a sll electric van

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

If you can work with 70+ miles a day on average, then yes.

[@CptRameus]

Great video with a lot of details covered. Overall a good first effort from Ford. This is a quick fix vehicle that has not been optimized to be an electric vehicle. A ground up design should fair so much better and really optimize the savings realized from BEV vs ICE. 👍👍

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

I like this model so far! Still room for improvement as always though.

[@rogermccaslin5963]

Taking Smedley's fuel number into account and adding in some more info I think there is a decent return on investment for him. Fuel ($100/week x 52)and oil changes (6 x 85) - about $5700 per year. Bump up on cost of EV vs gas van - about $10,000 (according to a different video I watched). ROI - 1.75 years. Not a bad ROI. Most days this van would work for me but there are days when it would be questionable. I've currently got a medium roof Transit van and when I tow my hydrojetter, the fuel economy is probably half what it is without. I sometimes have a 160 mile round trip when I get called for service. If it was just a 20 minute charge cycle for the call, I could deal with taking a break but I'm afraid it would be 2 or 3 charges to get me there and back. Not the end of the world but still something.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We actually paid about $14k less for our E-Transit than we did the other gas Transits we've bought this year. That doesn't include the $7,500 tax credit either!

[@rogermccaslin5963]

@@SmedleyPlumbing Wow, that's quite a difference. Makes it even better. I don't know what the other video was basing the numbers on but he said it was $9-10k more than gas. Glad you got a good deal. Now, if I could just get that bigger battery...

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@rogermccaslin5963 we bought the EV at MSRP. We had to pay way over MSRP for the gas units. But yes, the MSRP of the EV is listed close to $10k over the MSRP of the gas units.

[@andreaarmenti773]

@@rogermccaslin5963 im in quebec canada, i will be receiving my e transit next week. It was the same price as a diesel sprinter i also ordered, except diesel here is 2.30$ a liter, along with Mercedes diesel maintenance, you can see how the e-transit is going to win in savings.

[@keithhooper6123]

What was the weight of vehicle and load?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We weigh the van in the video. I believe the total payload was about 2,000 pounds. Weight doesn't effect range much though.

[@lo_Navy]

nice video, it gives an idea about Ford e-Transit

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Thank you!

[@michaeljkasnter]

I just can’t imagine not using the Air Conditioner in order to make it home

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

That was only in the final miles of a planned maximum range test. I run the AC all day every day. Current range has increased to 145+ as I have learned how to drive more efficiently.

[@JohnBucci-o4h]

I’m a plumber looking for a new van after two years of using it. Is it worth it?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

If you can change where it parks each night and you drive an average of 70 miles per day or less, then yes its worth it.

[@Bugs11000]

Does someone know what the lifespan or these batteries are? Or how much distance?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

They are warrantied for 8 years and 100k miles. We won't have the vehicle in the fleet beyond those numbers.

[@Bugs11000]

@@SmedleyPlumbing thank you.

[@brianlittle717]

How do you get your pipes out if they’ve been cut shorter than their full length?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Never put a pipe in the tube unless it's full length. This forces a person to be efficient with using up their scrap pipe before grabbing a full stick.

[@brianlittle717]

@@SmedleyPlumbing gotcha. I worked somewhere once where they had 4” pipes on top of the vans. They cut plywood into a circle and used an all thread to attach to it. That way you could always pull on the all thread and pull out whatever was in it! I use the tops of the shelves on that same side to carry my pipes. They aren’t quite 10’ long though.

[@ironwim3095]

I have a question about the pro power on-board system. Is it a 2 times 20 amp breaker? Is the inverter directly connected to the main high voltage battery or to the small 12V battery ? Can you turn them manually back on if the system switched it off after 40 miles?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Connected to the main 68ah battery. Can only be used when the van is on. Can't be used while charging because you can't turn on the van while charging. Yes you can override the 40 mile limit. I believe it's a single 20 amp breaker with a duplex receptacle. There is also another single receptacle on the left side of the passenger seat.

[@franciscoburgos787]

Will it turn on and drive while charging? Obviously you wouldn’t drive like that unless of course it had pv on the roof.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

No. It must be off to charge.

[@marcinzastawny55]

What is the range in December ?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

We are seeing about 100-110 miles per charge

[@johnjon1823]

The actual cost of buying and delivering that gatorade is incredible when you add all the manhours, vehicle costs, camera gear, editing and such. Kind of like those Pentagon $500 toilet seats for the military years ago. Man, as an owner I would calculate that one out for fun. Now when I ran a business, we had real trouble with paper costs. People kept taking home the paper towels, they were burning through hundreds of dollars a month on them; so, we switched to tri-fold crappy brown towels, the scratchy bathroom kind. Immediate savings. Just to wake them up, shortly after that time they were short on toilet paper at one of our shopping mall offices. So, I told them, well they put the food in on their own time and it should come out on their own time too, and since they got it from the food court, then they should grab all the napkins they need for not only the food going in, but the food going out. We didn't harass our people about costs, but it was good to let them know you are not asleep. I had a competitor where they made them sign out every pencil, but in that case they were looking in the wrong place, seems they had a relative stealing money over there. One time we had some people in our office for an event. Someone told us we were out of TP. They had just stocked it and there should have been a ton under the sink. ALL of it was gone- right after one particular visitor was had come out. I mean it is amazing, and that was when people knew male from female everywhere in the US.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

You can't put a price on great culture.

[@RogierYou]

It should be more expensive the more electrify you use. Bulk rate on energy encourages consumption and pollution (unless it’s all solar / wind)

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

I don't make the rules. I just use them to my advantage.

[@lombybedlam]

It is a pity that Ford took as a basis a body from a rear-wheel drive van, it is very convenient for me with a "low floor". Of course, for a truck, rear-wheel drive is the most correct option ... Is it going to be a front wheel drive version or a rear wheel drive version with a low floor?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

I don't believe you'll see a different chassis than the gas model. That's what makes this so neat. It's the same upfit as the gas models.

[@lombybedlam]

@@SmedleyPlumbing I have a Trasit - diesel with front-wheel drive and a low floor)

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@lombybedlam what country?

[@lombybedlam]

@@SmedleyPlumbing Europe.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@lombybedlam that would be why. We don't have that option in the US.

[@kartuneman]

Any issue with type 3 charging?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Nope!

[@greenfire919]

Can you wire up equipment into the van that would normally run on 12v power in regular van?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

Yes. It still has a 12v battery under the driver's seat.

[@H4rleyBoy]

What about 5 year overall cost inc purchase of the van compared to a normal van same spec, weight and usage?

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

So this van actually cost us $21,000 less to buy than the other gas transits we have purchase this year. This is due to the insane demand for but limited supply of gas transits right now. So $21k less to buy, $1500 less in sales tax, and we're saving about $400/month on gas. This doesn't include the claimed reduced maintenance expenses.

[@H4rleyBoy]

@@SmedleyPlumbing WOW!! that really is god, but of course, that situation will change once Putin and the world start sorting things out. I wonder if it will still make such good sense then.

[@SmedleyPlumbing]

@@H4rleyBoy the van pricing was set long before Putin bacame an issue. Regardless of who's to blame, we are seeing a great upside. Even if gas were half the price, we'd still be winning.