Vauxhall has been a regular winner at the What Van? Awards in recent years, and the latest edition was no exception, with the manufacturer taking home prizes for Electric Van of the Year with the Combo-e, and Medium Van of the Year with the Vivaro-e.
It’s unsurprising that Vauxhall’s awards success has come from its electric range, given its status as the UK’s leading electric van manufacturer, with nearly 3,000 sold in 2021 according to official Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders figures. It is also one of the few manufacturers to already offer an electric version of every van in its range, and plans to sell only electric vans in the UK by 2028.
The Combo-e and Vivaro-e feature the same 136hp electric motor. The Combo-e comes with a 50kWh battery pack, allowing a driving range of up to 175 miles on the official WLTP range cycle (combined), while the Vivaro-e comes with either a 50kWh or 75kWh battery pack, offering driving ranges of up to 133 or 196 miles respectively.
An 80% charge of the 50kWh battery can be completed in just 30 minutes using a 100kW charger, while the 75kWh battery takes 45 minutes.
The vans also feature selectable drive modes, allowing the driver to turn down the power to optimise range, as well as adjustable levels of regenerative braking. Both won praise from the What Van? Awards judges for their refined driving manners, as well as their equally impressive acceleration.
With their batteries located under the floor, both the Combo-e and Vivaro-e also benefit from having their load capacity unchanged from their diesel-powered counterparts, at 4.4m3 and 6.6m3 respectively, meaning operators won’t need to sacrifice day-to-day job suitability to go electric.
Both vans also benefit from the ability to defer charging to take advantage of cheaper electricity rates, and thermal pre-conditioning allowing the cabin to be warmed up while connected to the charger, rather than draining the battery – drivers can control these and other functions remotely via the MyVauxhall app.
The What Van? Awards also saw the upcoming Vivaro-e Hydrogen, set to go on sale in the UK in 2023, being named as Another One to Watch. It shows Vauxhall is not solely focused on battery-only EVs when it comes to alternative fuels, with the model set to be able to cover 249 miles on a single tank of hydrogen, which can be refuelled in just three minutes.
Commenting on the awards, Vauxhall managing director Paul Wilcox said: “We would like to thank the judges at What Van? for recognising the all-new Combo and Vivaro vehicles at the What Van? Awards 2022.
“As a British brand, I’m proud to see Vauxhall is leading the electrification of the UK van market. Vauxhall is all about democratising access to electrified vehicles and by offering an all-electric version of each of our vans, we hope to further help reduce in-use emissions and bring the lower running costs and user experience of driving electric to even more businesses.”
