The Ford E-Transit is officially a dead van walking. The American automaker has confirmed there will be no second generation for its electric commercial van. The decision is buried in the same grim document that announced the cancellation of the Ford F-150 Lightning successor. It seems the “Blue Oval” is ruthlessly pivoting toward hybrids and Extended-Range Electric Vehicles (EREV), leaving full battery-powered behemoths in the rearview mirror.
The E-Transit has been a bit of a “one-hit-wonder” since production began in Kansas City in late 2021. While it received a modest battery refresh in 2024 to boost range and charging speeds, the core hardware remained largely frozen in time. A shiny new generation was supposed to emerge from Ohio in 2026, but those plans have been unceremoniously scrapped. Instead, when the current model eventually exits stage left, it will be replaced by a “new affordable commercial van” powered by gasoline or hybrid engines.
Despite holding the title of America’s best-selling electric van, the E-Transit’s numbers were never exactly “stellar”. After selling 12,610 units in 2024, deliveries cratered this year, with a dismal 430 units moved in the third quarter. It appears that fleet managers aren’t quite as electrified by the prospect of battery-powered deliveries as Ford had hoped.
While Ford promises to keep selling its existing lineup of electrified vans in Europe, the North American outlook is bleak. With the Chevrolet BrightDrop also out of the running, the US electric commercial vehicle segment is shrinking faster than a cold battery’s range. This leaves only the Rivian Commercial Van, the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, and the Ram Promaster EV to carry the torch.
Ford is still teasing an “affordable” electric pickup for 2027, but the E-Transit is clearly not invited to that party. For now, the future of Ford’s workhorse is back to internal combustion.
