We wouldn’t blame anyone who thinks that EV shopping in America is getting a little complicated. Between inflated prices, supply chain issues, and navigating a seemingly fluid tax credit structure, buying an EV can be frustrating. It also doesn’t help that there isn’t a ton of variety in the EV market currently. Things are getting better than they were back in 2012 when Tesla was pretty much the only game in town, but more choices would be great. That’s why it may be a bummer to some of you that the new Ford E-Tourneo Courier that was just revealed isn’t coming to the American market. We totally understand that the Ford E-Transit is definitely a thing, but that vehicle is squarely positioned as a cargo vehicle meant for businesses rather than a small EV runabout for a family.
The Tourneo started off as a joint partnership between Ford and VW, similar to what brought us the all-electric Ford Explorer that’s only manufactured and sold in Europe. However, this new all-electric vehicle that Ford just revealed seems to be a different beast entirely. The E-Tourneo is technically a van but with “SUV-inspired” looks which seems like a weird middle ground to shoot for, but go ahead and do you Ford. Further blurring the lines is the fact that the automaker refers to the E-Tourneo as a “multi-activity vehicle.” Sure, why not?
Labels aside, the E-Tourneo has some attractive attributes on paper which we think would appeal to American buyers. The most notable is the interior space available. Moving to an electric drivetrain allowed Ford to open up the cabin to be fairly spacious on paper. Ford says the E-Tourneo has 44 percent more trunk cargo space than the previous model. With the internal combustion engine (ICE) gone, the E-Tourneo offers a “frunk” with approximately 68 square feet of additional cargo space. The center console is configurable to add more storage and there’s even a hidden “cubby” in the trunk big enough for a pair of shoes. The E-Tourneo will come equipped with Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment software routed through a 12-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Which is great news considering other automakers are moving away from those services in favor of proprietary interfaces.
The E-Tourneo will come standard with a 134 horsepower electric motor and will have an option for one-pedal driving. Ford didn’t provide any details on the E-Tourneo’s range, but we do know it supports 100 kW DC fast charging. On the fast charger, the E-Tourneo is capable of adding 54 miles of range in 10 minutes and can get the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 35 minutes. The 11 kW AC charger can get the EV from 10 to 100 percent in 5.7 hours. Ford didn’t reveal an MSRP yet, but we don’t expect it to be wallet-breaking. A small, but roomy interior van/SUV sounds like a hot seller if Ford could get the price right. Perhaps if it does well enough the E-Tourneo, or something like it, might make its way to the states.
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