Ford has established itself as a leading badge in plug-in hybrid camper vans, both in-house and via third-party conversions, but it hasn't shown the same level of juice in all-electric campers, despite having a very solid base van for the purpose. Polish conversion shop Wavecamper looks to change that with the Flex E-Line, a convincing battery-driven mini-camper with over 200 miles of range built into Ford's E-Transit Custom. Will it take a big bite out of Kia's electric camper van success?
Looking back, we're a bit surprised the all-electric Transit Custom didn't create any camper van hype around the time it first arrived. Ford Pro announced the electric version of the Transit Custom, Europe's bestselling small van, in 2022. At the time, it stamped a respectable 236-mile (380-km) top range estimate on the midsize van, not far off at all from the Kia PV5's max estimated range of 258 miles (4l5 km, WLTP). Ford also equipped it with two powertrain options, offering up to 215 hp. Earlier this year, Ford even added a valuable feature the PV5 lacks: optional all-wheel drive.
And while the Volkswagen ID. Buzz has proven to be a polarizing design with limited space for camper conversions, the Transit Custom has long been a celebrated camper base van thanks to the highly popular Ford Nugget. Lately, the Transit Custom has been featuring in more conversions than ever thanks to the fact that Ford partnered up to put VW's Transporter van atop the Transit Custom platform – converters can now develop the same package for both vans, appealing to a wider set of customers.
So why haven't we seen so much of an E-Transit Custom camper rendering?
Whatever the case, the all-new Wavecamper Flex E-Line that debuted at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon is the first electric Transit Custom camper van we've come across. It's available on both short-wheelbase (505-cm/199-in total length) and long-wheelbase (545-cm/215-in) Transit Custom vans with either a 215-hp rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive powertrain. All models come equipped with a 71-kWh battery pack that delivers an estimated range of 217 miles (350 km).
That mileage does fall well short of the 258-mile (415-km) max range Kia PV5 converters are citing from the same 71-kWh battery capacity, but the tradeoff comes in a considerably larger the van for hosting a camping layout. And Wavecamper uses that space to further distinguish the Flex E-Line from other e-camper vans with a highly flexible, capable living/driving cabin.
The recently debuted Kia PV5 iCamper from Wellhouse Leisure uses Schnierle's removable, adjustable floor rail-mounted seats to its advantage, but Wellhouse limits the build to two rear seats. Wavecamper, too, installs two individual rear seats standard but offers fifth and sixth seats optionally, expanding the Flex E-Line's capability to serve as a proper everyday MPV for families, as well as a cozy four-sleeper camper van.
Whether their van has two, three or four rear seats, Flex E-Line owners can remove, slide and rearrange the seats as necessary. In camper form, owners install a rear row with two seats and set up the fold-out 195 x 120-cm (77 x 47-in) bed atop the folded rear seats. Or they can just bring the bed and set it up without the rear seats, freeing up more open cargo and living space.
The pop-up roof packs in a second bed so the little E-Line camper van can sleep a total of four people. This bed measures the same 47 inches (120 cm) wide as the lower bed but stretches to a length of 79 or 94 inches (200 or 240 cm), depending upon the size of the Transit Custom model chosen. During the day, the rooftop bed lifts up to clear out standing room below. Once the roof is lowered down into drive mode, the van slides in under 6.6 feet (2 m) tall so it can comfortably navigate parking garages.
Beyond its integrated musical chairs, Wavecamper gives the Flex E-Line a classic floor plan with driver's side kitchen block. Sticking with the electric nature of the camper, the countertop area includes a single-burner induction cooker and a sink. A 45-L Dometic compressor fridge is installed below the counter and positioned forward enough so it can be accessed even when the bed is set up. The cabinet next to the fridge is sized to hold an optional portable toilet – you'll just want to make sure to sleep with your head at the tailgate if you're stuck setting up the toilet overnight like it is in the photo below.
Wavecamper completes the driver's side construction with a removable table that splits the slide-adjustable rear seats and swivel front seats and a roof-high rear wardrobe for storage. Other amenities include a 95-Ah AGM battery, dimmable LED lighting, outdoor shower, 2,000-W inverter, 19-L fresh and waste water tanks, and blackout blinds for the sliding door and kitchen window.
Beyond four-seat camper and six-seat MPV configurations, owners can also move and remove seats into other setups such as a five-seater with a single-seat row, a four-seater with seats slid forward and large cargo area in back, or a two-seater with a cabin's worth of cargo space for bicycles, surfboards and other large hauls.
The Flex E-Line certainly beats any Kia PV5 camper van we've seen in terms of all-around camping/everyday versatility, but price is a different story. In place of the ~€70,000+ (approx. US$78,400+) base prices common on PV5 campers, the Flex E-Line wears a starting MSRP of €102,900 ($115,250) in Germany after VAT. Wavecamper is currently advertising an €8K ($9K) discount. Available options include a stationary air conditioner, water heater for the outdoor shower, leisure battery upgrade to lithium, exterior awning and more.
The short-wheelbase RWD model that Wavecamper debuted in Düsseldorf wore an MSRP of €113,465 ($127,000) with included options like the portable toilet, airline track around the walls for securing accessories, and roof rails on the pop-top. The discount brought the final marked price down to €105,465 ($118,125), including VAT. Wavecamper is now offering the Flex E-Line in various markets around Europe, including Germany, France and its home country of Poland.
Source: Wavecamper
