If you’ve been keeping up with the ongoing EV revolution, you’ll know that Vauxhall is steaming ahead of other manufacturers. The brand now has all-electric variants to their most popular cars, the Corsa and Mokka, as well as two different electric vans to choose from; the Vivaro-e and the Combo-e. Today, we’re going to review the highly regarded Vauxhall Vivaro-e van to see how it compares to other electric vans on the market!
Performance
For many, the biggest barrier to buying an electric van is their electric range. The fear that pure electric vans cannot and will not travel as far as their petrol and diesel counterparts has deterred many potential buyers. Vauxhall has attempted to address that concern by giving customers the choice between two different battery sizes in the Vauxhall Vivaro-e van.
The smaller of the two is a 50kWh battery which should give drivers approximately 143 miles of range. Whereas the 75kWh Vauxhall Vivaro-e van has a range of 205 miles. Charging either of these models should be super easy while on the go. Using a 100kWh charge point, you can top up the battery to 80% in as little as 32 minutes. Meanwhile, a 7kWh and 11kWh home charger would take 7 hours and 30 minutes and 4 hours and 45 minutes respectively.
The Vauxhall Vivaro-e van has three different drive modes which can be altered by a button on the dashboard. Normal mode should provide drivers with 80% power and torque, but switching into Power mode will give you full access to everything. There’s also an Eco mode which limits the output to save some battery.
Interior
The Vauxhall Vivaro-e van’s interior is nearly identical to the non-electric Vivaro and that’s no bad thing. One of the main changes to the Vivaro-e’s interior is that the former gear stick has now been replaced with a simple rocker switch. A similar switch can be used to choose between the power, normal and eco driving modes.
The rest of the cabin is typical Vivaro, meaning it’s nice, comfortable and well put together. Thanks to a fully adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, 7-inch colour touchscreen and rear parking sensors, the Vivaro-e is great to drive and usable for businesses. Top-level versions also include satellite navigation, a rear view camera, a lane departure warning and a drowsiness alert system.
A great feature of the all-electric Vivaro is that there’s very little difference in terms of dimensions compared to the fuel-powered Vivaro. Those who are hesitant to buy an electric van may worry about the level of compromise, but the only difference with this all-electric Vivaro-e is the slightly slimmed down range.
Available in two body lengths and roof heights, the Vivaro-e’s load volume ranges from 5.3m3 to 6.6m3. The space within the back of the van is almost completely unchanged too. The load length in the smaller version is 4959mm, whereas the larger van can hold up to 5309mm.
By removing the engine and transmission, the Vivaro-e’s battery and motor do not compromise on its overall payload. The highest capacity is 1226kg on the L1H1 van with the 50kwh battery. The lowest is on the larger 75kWh battery, which is just over 1000kg. Overall, the weight difference between the electric and diesel vans is just 130kg.
Plus, the Vauxhall Vivaro-e van is the only electric van on the market capable of towing a trailer of up to one tonne.
Costs
You can look at the costs of electric vehicle ownership in several ways. In the short term, it’s likely that you’ll be paying slightly more to buy the all-electric Vivaro-e rather than its diesel counterpart. At the moment the Vivaro-e starts from around £40,000, whereas the conventional van costs around £31,000.
But, in the long term there are some serious savings for those driving electric vehicles. You’ll benefit from a range of lower running costs, including not having to pay for fuel and EVs being cheaper to maintain and service. Vauxhall estimates that the Vivaro-e is five times cheaper to run.
Overall, it’s about looking at what is best for you or your business. There’s no denying that EVs are definitely cheaper to run in the long term, but there’s also that huge price tag.
Renting an electric van
For those of you who aren’t ready to splash out £40,000 on an electric van, renting one may be an option! You can hire the all electric Vauxhall Vivaro-e directly with EVision Electric Vehicles from just £26.66 per day*.
When renting an electric van from EVision, you pay no upfront deposit and all maintenance and servicing is covered by EVision. Plus you benefit from a free electric vehicle charging unit when you hire for over 12 months, which you can install at your home or place of business.
You can book your hire online directly via the EVision website here. Alternatively, if you prefer to speak to a person, then give EVision a call Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm on 01634 914063. The Vauxhall Vivaro-e can be collected from our Headquarters located in Kent. You can also collect from one of our satellite offices in Devon, Durham or Yorkshire. Alternatively, have the electric van delivered right to your door for a small additional charge.
More vans will be available on the EVision fleet this 2022, so stay tuned!
* All information correct as of 04/04/2022. Prices based on a 3 year hire.
