New Ford Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid announced

The Ford Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid has been announced by Ford, with the ‘people mover’ set to reach customers late in 2019.

Its 13.6kWh battery is expected to deliver 31 miles of electric range. An electric motor drives the front wheels, although performance figures are yet to be made available.

The Tourneo Custom Plug In-Hybrid is technically a range-extender, using a 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine to recharge on the move.

It can also be charged from the mains, with a socket located on the front bumper: Ford claims a full charge will take five-and-a-half hours from a 240V, 10A supply, falling to three hours from an industrial 32A connection.

Emissions figures are yet to be confirmed, but Ford expects the Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid to emit 75g/km of CO2 on official tests.

DrivingElectric drove a prototype version of this system in a Transit Custom van body earlier this year.

The vehicle is predominantly designed to be able enter the ultra-low-emission zones – such as the forthcoming London ULEZ – springing up around Europe.

The company claims that interior space isn’t compromised compared to a conventional Tourneo Custom, with the battery located in the floor of the vehicle. The eight seats can either be arranged in three rows, or in a ‘conference format’ for business passengers.

Four driving modes are available: EV Auto, EV Now, EV Later and EV Charge. These allow drivers to select where and when the battery and range-extender engine are deployed on any given journey.

Drivers can also modulate the level of regenerative braking available to top up the battery when slowing down, with ‘Drive’ and ‘Low’ options on the gear selector.

Offered in Titanium trim, the Ford Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid features an eight-inch touchscreen with the company’s SYNC 3 infotainment system.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included as standard, and the FordPass Connect system acts as a wi-fi hub for up to 10 devices at once.

Meanwhile, the FordPass app lets drivers check the vehicle’s location and battery status remotely, among other features.

UK pricing for the Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid will be confirmed later in the year.