Ahead of its launch before the end of the year, Vauxhall has thrown the covers off the UK’s only all-electric light commercial van (LCV) that can tow a trailer. The Vivaro-e is a factory-built, battery-electric delivery van capable of carrying loads of up to 1,226 kg (2,756 lb) for up to 330 km (205 mi).

Built alongside the diesel-powered Vivaro, the electric version will have two lengths and body variants. Both a panel van and a double cab will be offered with a passenger van planned for the near future. The panel van has the largest payload (1.25 t) with a gross vehicle weight of about 3,100 kg (6,834 lb). The Vivaro-e is the same height as the standard Vivaro as well, allowing it to enter most parking garages and basement accesses. Both a front passenger-side loading door and rear roll door allow easy access to the Vivaro-e’s interior.

Two battery options will be offered for the Vauxhall Vivaro-e. A 75-kWh lithium-ion battery pack offers the longest maximum range of 330 km, while a smaller 50-kWh pack, intended for those businesses who need to cover less distances, offers 230 km (143 mi) of range per charge. The battery packs are 18 and 27 modules each, and are cooled by the in-cabin cooler/air conditioner. They sit under the loading space of the van, replacing fuel tank and drivetrain gear, and thus don’t impede the van’s interior space versus the diesel variant.

Vauxhall

The electric propulsion system takes the form of a 100-kW (136 hp) motor providing 260 Nm (192 lb-ft) of torque. This motor provides both the heavy carrying power of the van and a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph, electronically limited). Vauxhall claims the Vivaro-e is also more stable thanks to its lower center of gravity. It can also tow trailers up to a maximum capacity of 1,000 kg (2,204 lb).

With a 100-kW DC charging station, the 50-kWh battery can get to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes, while the 75-kWh pack does so in 45. The van comes with a 7.4-kW on-board charger that can be upgraded to a three-phase 11-kW unit as an option.

Vauxhall also added several technologies to the Vivaro-e as driver support features. These include the VauxhallConnect e-remote control functions that allow access to current battery charge state and programming of AC and charging times via smartphone. It also enables vehicle status information sharing and access to real-time traffic information to give the driver the best route. Advanced safety equipment includes lane-keeping assist, driver drowsiness alert, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, and extended traffic sign recognition to alert the driver to speed limits. Parking sensors and blind spot monitoring are also included.

Vauxhall plans to begin taking orders for the Vivaro-e in June 2020 and begin deliveries later in the year and is the first of several electric LCVs Vauxhall has planned – the next being the Combo-e, coming in 2021. It plans to offer electrified versions of all its passenger car and LCV models by 2024.

Source: Vauxhall via Newspress