Ford E-series vs. Transit: What Are the Differences Between These Vans?
Two great vans, two confusing names. What's the difference between a Ford E-Series van and a Ford Transit?
Written by Andrew Kidd
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
When you see a work or
cargo van
on the road, there's a good chance that it's a Ford
. But what's the difference between these newer Ford Transit vans and their older counterparts, the E-Series and Econoline? If you’re stuck comparing the Ford E-Series vs. the Transit, allow us to help clear a few things up.E-Series: an American workhorse
The Ford E-Series—originally known as the Ford Econoline—is a full-size cargo van first developed in the 1960s, whose platform dates back to the 1970s and which has kept the same general design since the 1990s.
It's not exceptionally pretty; it looks like your quintessential work van and, when white and livery-free, would leave many parents uncomfortable if you drove it into their neighborhood.
But it's one of the Blue Oval's most successful fleet vehicles; the E-Series was the company's best-seller between 1980 and 2015, making up nearly 80% of the van market during that time.
It also packed a decent power plant; the E-Series was available with a 225-horsepower, 4.6-liter V8, a 255-horsepower 5.4-liter V8, or a 305-horsepower 6.8-liter V10. It wasn't very fuel efficient, however; its gas mileage was around 13 mpg city/16 mpg highway, dropping to 10/14 mpg for vans equipped with V10 engines.
Ford discontinued production of the E-Series for the 2015 model year, but you can still get your hands on one if you're dedicated to making it your own. Enthusiasts and upfitters can still purchase a stripped-down cutaway E-Series chassis from the automaker.
Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
No spam · No long forms · No fees
The Ford Transit van replaces the E-Series
The Ford Transit effectively replaced the E-Series as the automaker's sole van offering in North America outside of stripped-down chassis options. In doing so, Ford introduced a modern take on its previously dated cargo van offerings.
Ford first manufactured the Transit in the 1960s for international markets but it didn't make it to North America until 2013. The Transit isn't as boringly utilitarian as the E-Series; the vehicle looks pretty attractive as far as vans go, featuring more curves and a less-boring overall design. In short, it's a better-looking van if you're not an E-Series purist.
But one big advantage the Transit line has compared with the E-Series is its fuel economy, which averages around 14/19/16 mpg city/highway/combined. It's not breaking records for great gas mileage—something many of us need in 2022. But unlike the E-Series/Econoline, this van also comes in electric.
Electrifying the Transit van
Seeing an opportunity when it comes to electrification of fleet vehicles, Ford introduced the E-Transit for the 2022 model year. Not to be confused with the gas-powered E-Series, the E-Transit is essentially a fully electric version of the Transit work van.
The automaker used fleet data to determine the daily average range for most commercial vans in the U.S. is around 74 miles, which informed the E-Transit's targeted range of 126 miles.
Per the automaker, the E-Transit offers the same amount of interior cargo space and mounting points as the gas-powered Transit. It can also be easily upfitted much like its E-Series predecessor.
But it's not as affordable as a used E-Series or a standard Transit; the standard gas-powered Transit starts at $39,970, while cutaway versions of the E-Transit start at $46,295. If you want an electric cargo van, you're going to have to shell out $50,185—and that's without any extra bells and whistles.
Insuring a cargo van
Vans aren't too pricey to insure depending on make, model and what you use them for, but if you want to unlock extra savings on your car insurance, give Jerry a shout.
Jerry
customers save an average of over $800 a year to insure their vehicle. If you’re deterred by the work of gathering quotes and you’d rather leave it to someone else, the Jerry app sources quotes from 55+ insurance companies, like Nationwide, Allstate, Safeco, Progressive and Travelers. Jerry even helps cancel your old policy once you’ve made your pick. So don’t pay more for the same coverage, make sure you’re getting the fairest price possible.
4.7
