Comparing Transit Vans: Ford vs. Lightning
Ford’s E-Transit is coming. How does it compare?
Ford’s announcement of the battery-electric 2022 E-Transit is great news because it will add momentum to the growth of the commercial EV market, both for fleets and for the EV industry as a whole.
Lightning eMotors also produces battery-electric (and fuel-cell electric) vans based on the Ford Transit chassis, so does Ford’s announcement mean that Lightning’s product will become obsolete? No, it doesn’t, because the products do not overlap in the marketplace. Ford’s E-Transit is a US Class 2 product, which has a lower gross weight limit than Lightning’s Class 3, which is based on Ford’s T350HD platform. Ford has not stated any intention to produce an electric version of the T350HD. In addition, Ford’s electric E-Transit will be available as a cargo van or in chassis cab and cutaway versions, but not as a passenger vehicle. The Lightning Electric Transit is available now as a passenger van or a cargo van, with chassis cab and cutaway available Q2 2021 (can be ordered today).
Finally, Lightning’s electric Transit 350HD can be customized for many applications, including ambulances, RVs and school buses, all of which require custom access to the vehicle’s electric power system. Wheelchair lifts, custom HVAC implementations, food truck equipment, high-power medical equipment such as X-Ray systems, and other upfits are compatible with Lightning’s electric powertrain technology.
| Ford E-Transit | Lightning eMotors Transit 350HD | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | 2022 (estimated) | Today |
| US GVWR Class 2 | ✓ | Not planned |
| US GVWR Class 3 | No stated plan | ✓ |
| Cargo van | ✓ | ✓ |
| Passenger van | X | ✓ |
| Chassis-Cab / Cutaway | ✓ | Available Q2 2021 |
| Payload capacity | 4,290 lbs (cutaway) | 5,000 lbs (cutaway) |
| Battery capacity options | 67 kWh (no fuel-cell option) | 86 kWh 105 kWh Hydrogen fuel cell |
| Range | 126 miles (estimated) | 140 miles* 170 miles* 250 miles* (fuel cell) |
* Based on EPA-certified dynamometer testing at 50% payload
** Base Chassi-cabs model with no body or box and no options added. Class 2 vehicles do not qualify for VW EMTF or HVIP grant subsidies.
*** Price after California HVIP grants. Other grants and federal tax rebates may also apply.