The Road Test: Ford E-Transit vs Fiat Ducato

As we set out on our journey around Milton Keynes, we were eager to put both vehicles through their paces and see how they performed. The Ford E-Transit was our first choice, with its sleek design and impressive specs. We opted for the eco mode, which limits the top speed to 30 mph and regulates the amount of energy used by the electric motor. Our driving style was described as "tortoise" rather than "hare," which suited the E-Transit's purpose of navigating busy urban roads.

We began our test drive on the Seven Mile Route around Milton Keynes, a busy route that features roundabouts and traffic lights. The E-Transit handled these obstacles with ease, its advanced electric powertrain smoothly adjusting to changing road conditions. We noted that the vehicle's computer estimated our battery usage, providing us with an idea of how much range we had left at any given time. With 98% capacity remaining, we were pleased to find that the E-Transit was still capable of delivering a respectable range of around 116 miles on a single charge.

In comparison, the Fiat Ducato was our second choice for this test. While it may have been cheaper than the Ford, with a starting price of £70,000 compared to the E-Transit's £65,000, we couldn't help but feel that the Ducato had missed out on some important features. One notable omission was the lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, which made our test drive less enjoyable than expected.

The E-Transit, however, did come with a range of modern conveniences, including an 12-inch touchscreen display that allowed us to access various functions and settings. We were also pleased to find that the vehicle's battery could be updated remotely via over-the-air updates, ensuring that our van stayed up-to-date with the latest software and features.

As we continued on our journey, we couldn't help but notice the E-Transit's more spacious interior, which featured ample storage compartments and easy-to-reach door pockets. The vehicle also boasted a sleeker design than the Ducato, with a more modern aesthetic that appealed to us on an emotional level.

Our driving experience was also notable for its comfort and refinement, thanks in part to the E-Transit's advanced electric powertrain. While we found the Fiat to be comfortable enough, it couldn't quite match the Ford's feel-good factor. The E-Transit handled bumps and potholes with ease, providing us with a more enjoyable driving experience.

Finally, we turned our attention to the real-world range of both vehicles. Our test drive revealed that the E-Transit was capable of delivering impressive real-world ranges, despite the smaller battery size. In contrast, the Fiat Ducato struggled to keep pace, its larger battery only able to deliver a more modest 156 miles on a single charge.

In conclusion, our road test pitted two popular electric vans against each other in a battle for supremacy. While both vehicles had their strengths and weaknesses, we ultimately found that the Ford E-Transit was the better of the two. Its sleek design, spacious interior, and advanced electric powertrain made it an enjoyable vehicle to drive, while its impressive real-world range sealed the deal.

The Fiat Ducato, on the other hand, fell short in several areas. Its lack of modern conveniences and comfortable ride were notable drawbacks, while its larger battery size only managed to deliver a modest improvement in range. However, we did appreciate the Ducato's more affordable starting price, which made it an attractive option for those looking to save a few quid.

Ultimately, our road test showed that both vehicles have their merits and drawbacks. While the Ford E-Transit stole the show with its impressive performance and modern features, the Fiat Ducato was a solid choice for those on a tighter budget.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enlast year the fifth gear Mario Brothers Jason and Jimmy I like your hats in fact I like your khaki color it's nicely tried out two fully electric vans and they weren't impressed because you couldn't even get 100 miles between charges the range is 82 miles 82 miles that isn't great is it in fact that figure halved once they loaded up some washing machines well we've lost them online already pretty quickly to the two this is gone again but now a new breed of Eevee van is emerging that claims to go further between recharges we've grabbed the two leading contenders to find out if they're a step forward should you want to Lux and light Goods around is the Fiat e ducato now the ducato name has been around for over 40 years and the manufacturer says that this is the best selling van in Europe with 150 000 sales per year yeah but let's be honest if you're gonna buy a van you want one with a Transit badge on it it's been announced since 1965 and they've built over eight and a half million of these come it's a no-brainer but is it going to be as good now it's called the E Transit see it first why not we'll be doing three tests today the first we'll discover what the Vans are like to live with ergonomically immediately I have brushed myself against the handbrake which is quite protruding down there so a couple bits I've spotted so anyway yeah uh that there has got to be the Italian espresso hole doesn't it because your latte is definitely not going to stay in there no I agree with that and then the other thing was like what's going on here and then you've got that thing in the corner with a wire like a visible wire coming out the bag it's like they just drilled the hole in stick that panel in for the EV info first impressions are that it lacks a little polish and practicality right let's get my big van head on but perhaps things will improve on the road the range of our electric Burns we drove them the same Seven Mile Route Around Milton Keynes the kind of urban multi-drop environment that these vehicles have been designed for crucially because of the roundabouts and the number of traffic lights your leading foot will be vaguely kept under control of our journey write these down so I don't forget and then we'll see what it's dropped to by the end and calculate the real world range at least our version of it we are in eco mode Jen on on everything on white van man and woman please note eco mode limits the beats on our top speed and not to 30 takes six seconds so more tortoise than hair so we have two trim levels available in this van in entry level and then this which is the e-technico and for that you get apple carplay and auto Android you get a snatch Nerf oh and a leather steering wheel but to be honest with you this just feels really plasticky it's probably an unusual cow that's for sure so I don't feel that I'm being cosseted no mind you you would expect a bit of luxury when you consider this van costs 70 000 pounds and that includes a five thousand pound government grant all right Vex we're coming back to our start Point we've done just about seven miles yep so what is your percentage my percentage is a 68 percent all right so you've used uh six percent of your battery okay based on our drive it means the van should be good for 116 miles between charges which ties in with fiat's own figures they estimate the E ducators 47 kilowatt battery will deliver a range between 102 and 139 miles things have certainly moved on since the Mario brothers first tested Evans how did the E Transit compare the transit is a legend in the world of fans with almost a million currently on British roads can this Transit carry on that weighty reputation the e-transits cheaper than the Fiat but only by five grand now I've got uh 98 as we set up on our journey and this tells me I can do 156 miles Fords say the transit should be good for between 166 and 196 miles hopefully the van's computer will take a more optimistic view as our trip around Milton Keynes continues Vicky seems more excited about the van than its arranged though well I need to show you so much about this thing you have got loads of storage space up here magazines magazines clipboards oh clipboard for delivery people yeah and actually the door pockets are easier to reach isn't it okay now one thing that is hugely different between this and the Fiat is that the Ford has got 261 horsepower now that's more than double wow the Fiat score yeah and it's got more talk at 430 newton meters compared to the ducators 280. and so this is more powerful it's got more torque but it's cheaper and it's cheaper it's a five grand cheaper than the fierce on top of that it's only seven Grand more than the equivalent diesel the fact that Battery Technology is still expensive the reality is seven thousand is not available and there's more good stuff I love the fact that they're basically nicked the 12-inch screen from the Ford back yes yeah exactly and you can get over the air updates on it you can work out when you plug in where's available and the screen lets you access three Drive modes you got the normal you got Eco and then you've got a wet mold actually it's slippery yeah I love it basically it's for people who aren't used to EVs and that instant acceleration it just manages at all somebody's properly thought this through this is it we're done done it dusted so I've used just three percent of my battery to do a seven mile run which on paper you go well that's only half the number of percentages that you however this does have a bigger battery it's got a 68 kilowatt hour battery based on our little test the transit could cover up to 200 miles between recharges around twice what the E ducato could do although you could argue it's got a bigger battery it's also a cheaper van so that's not cheating it's time for a verdict on our test one which is how good the Vans are to live with you've probably guessed our victim uh thanks for breakfast I don't actually eat bacon so you can have both of them yes yes a result um so up front I found that the Ford was more comfortable and more special well yeah I mean it just felt like they'd made an effort the touchscreen was really good the cubby holes were easily reachable and you know the fact that the range is going to be pushing 200 miles that's pretty good so the winner for this one then is the Ford e-transit I think the winners you with your double bacon rolllast year the fifth gear Mario Brothers Jason and Jimmy I like your hats in fact I like your khaki color it's nicely tried out two fully electric vans and they weren't impressed because you couldn't even get 100 miles between charges the range is 82 miles 82 miles that isn't great is it in fact that figure halved once they loaded up some washing machines well we've lost them online already pretty quickly to the two this is gone again but now a new breed of Eevee van is emerging that claims to go further between recharges we've grabbed the two leading contenders to find out if they're a step forward should you want to Lux and light Goods around is the Fiat e ducato now the ducato name has been around for over 40 years and the manufacturer says that this is the best selling van in Europe with 150 000 sales per year yeah but let's be honest if you're gonna buy a van you want one with a Transit badge on it it's been announced since 1965 and they've built over eight and a half million of these come it's a no-brainer but is it going to be as good now it's called the E Transit see it first why not we'll be doing three tests today the first we'll discover what the Vans are like to live with ergonomically immediately I have brushed myself against the handbrake which is quite protruding down there so a couple bits I've spotted so anyway yeah uh that there has got to be the Italian espresso hole doesn't it because your latte is definitely not going to stay in there no I agree with that and then the other thing was like what's going on here and then you've got that thing in the corner with a wire like a visible wire coming out the bag it's like they just drilled the hole in stick that panel in for the EV info first impressions are that it lacks a little polish and practicality right let's get my big van head on but perhaps things will improve on the road the range of our electric Burns we drove them the same Seven Mile Route Around Milton Keynes the kind of urban multi-drop environment that these vehicles have been designed for crucially because of the roundabouts and the number of traffic lights your leading foot will be vaguely kept under control of our journey write these down so I don't forget and then we'll see what it's dropped to by the end and calculate the real world range at least our version of it we are in eco mode Jen on on everything on white van man and woman please note eco mode limits the beats on our top speed and not to 30 takes six seconds so more tortoise than hair so we have two trim levels available in this van in entry level and then this which is the e-technico and for that you get apple carplay and auto Android you get a snatch Nerf oh and a leather steering wheel but to be honest with you this just feels really plasticky it's probably an unusual cow that's for sure so I don't feel that I'm being cosseted no mind you you would expect a bit of luxury when you consider this van costs 70 000 pounds and that includes a five thousand pound government grant all right Vex we're coming back to our start Point we've done just about seven miles yep so what is your percentage my percentage is a 68 percent all right so you've used uh six percent of your battery okay based on our drive it means the van should be good for 116 miles between charges which ties in with fiat's own figures they estimate the E ducators 47 kilowatt battery will deliver a range between 102 and 139 miles things have certainly moved on since the Mario brothers first tested Evans how did the E Transit compare the transit is a legend in the world of fans with almost a million currently on British roads can this Transit carry on that weighty reputation the e-transits cheaper than the Fiat but only by five grand now I've got uh 98 as we set up on our journey and this tells me I can do 156 miles Fords say the transit should be good for between 166 and 196 miles hopefully the van's computer will take a more optimistic view as our trip around Milton Keynes continues Vicky seems more excited about the van than its arranged though well I need to show you so much about this thing you have got loads of storage space up here magazines magazines clipboards oh clipboard for delivery people yeah and actually the door pockets are easier to reach isn't it okay now one thing that is hugely different between this and the Fiat is that the Ford has got 261 horsepower now that's more than double wow the Fiat score yeah and it's got more talk at 430 newton meters compared to the ducators 280. and so this is more powerful it's got more torque but it's cheaper and it's cheaper it's a five grand cheaper than the fierce on top of that it's only seven Grand more than the equivalent diesel the fact that Battery Technology is still expensive the reality is seven thousand is not available and there's more good stuff I love the fact that they're basically nicked the 12-inch screen from the Ford back yes yeah exactly and you can get over the air updates on it you can work out when you plug in where's available and the screen lets you access three Drive modes you got the normal you got Eco and then you've got a wet mold actually it's slippery yeah I love it basically it's for people who aren't used to EVs and that instant acceleration it just manages at all somebody's properly thought this through this is it we're done done it dusted so I've used just three percent of my battery to do a seven mile run which on paper you go well that's only half the number of percentages that you however this does have a bigger battery it's got a 68 kilowatt hour battery based on our little test the transit could cover up to 200 miles between recharges around twice what the E ducato could do although you could argue it's got a bigger battery it's also a cheaper van so that's not cheating it's time for a verdict on our test one which is how good the Vans are to live with you've probably guessed our victim uh thanks for breakfast I don't actually eat bacon so you can have both of them yes yes a result um so up front I found that the Ford was more comfortable and more special well yeah I mean it just felt like they'd made an effort the touchscreen was really good the cubby holes were easily reachable and you know the fact that the range is going to be pushing 200 miles that's pretty good so the winner for this one then is the Ford e-transit I think the winners you with your double bacon roll\n"