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The What Van? Road Test: Vauxhall Vivaro Electric
Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Powertrain
Married to a single-speed automatic transmission, the Vivaro Electric’s motor produces a maximum 100kW (136hp), with 260Nm of torque on tap. It draws power from a 75kWh battery pack that employs a 7.4kW onboard charger; an 11kW charger is up for grabs as
an option.
Plug the van into a 100kW DC charger and it should take no more than 45 minutes to take the battery pack from 0% to 80% of its maximum charge, says Vauxhall. Use a 7kW AC charging point instead, the manufacturer adds, and it will take 11 hours 20 minutes to trudge from 0% to 100%.
Maximum range between recharges is said to be 205 miles, according to Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) combined figures, with the van consuming roughly 26.8kWh to 28.4kWh for every 60 miles or so it travels.
The Vivaro Electric comes with a Mode 3 charging cable and the socket it uses is under a flap on the vehicle’s nearside above the front wheel arch. A delayed charging function allows the user to enter a start time to allow the van to be charged overnight at off-peak rates.
Driving
No matter whether it is laden or empty, the Vivaro Electric rides as well as can be expected on the UK’s pot-hole-pitted excuses for roads.
The handling is impressively-sharp, too, with steering that responds rapidly to inputs from the driver and makes the van easy to position on the highway. Nor did we have any complaints about the vehicle’s low-speed manoeuvrability, and in-cab noise levels were not especially intrusive.
On-highway performance depends heavily on which drive mode you select.
Go for Eco and you will get a bit more range, but your ability to accelerate is pretty much strangled as the motor’s output is cut to 59kW/80hp. The power setting (100kW/136hp) delivers all the wallop you are likely to need, especially if you are overtaking slower-moving traffic, but drains the battery.
Net result? We left the Vivaro Electric in Normal (79kW/107hp) most of the time, which offers the best of both worlds; enough puff to allow you to keep up with other drivers, but without having to worry that your store of on-board energy is depleting too quickly.
While you are wondering which drive mode to use, don’t forget about deploying the transmission lever’s B setting whenever appropriate. It can potentially extend your range by several miles and does so smoothly.
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