Opel has released today the full details and images of their new electric van - the Opel Vivaro e-Concept (Vauxhall Vivaro e-Concept for the UK market). The electric Opel Vivaro e-Concept will be premiered at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover (September 23 to 30, 2010).
The electric Opel Vivaro e-Concept is powered by a 111 kW motor that outputs 370Nm of torque and is able to run the van for 100 km on a single charge. After the juice runs out, the electric Opel Vivaro e-Concept is also fitted with range extender engine that can take it for up to more than 400 kilometers.
The electric Opel Vivaro e-Concept has a 5.0
cubic meter storage capacity and a 750 kilograms load capacity. The van is equipped with lithium ion battery modules that can be re-charged from a standard household 230-volt outlet.
Watch the first electric Opel Vivaro e-Concept video after the jump.
Opel Press Release:
Opel is sending new impulses to electric mobility: At the IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover (September 23 to 30, 2010) the brand debuts a research project on a Vivaro e-Concept, an electric van with up to 400 kilometers extended range. With this concept, Opel imagines that environmentally friendly e-mobility could also be intriguing for commercial vehicle operators.
“We would like to test the acceptance of our advanced propulsion technology by showing the Vivaro e-Concept to the commercial vehicle specialists attending the show,” says Chris
Lacey, Executive Director, International Operations Opel/Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles. “We are convinced that we will get a fantastic reaction from the people who use such vehicles on a daily basis: Electric mobility will allow them to travel in city areas which are now off-limits to petrol and diesel-powered vehicles and the range-extender technology makes it possible to use an electric van for normal routine business.”
The Vivaro e-Concept aims to prove that operators do not have to make great concessions to
practicality when they choose intelligent propulsion. The e-Concept is conceived to have 5.0 cubic meter storage capacity able to carry 750 kilograms of load, making it an excellent value for urban delivery drivers.
The e-Concept is envisioned to be capable of meeting the typical daily needs of inner city delivery transport fully electrically and therefore completely emission-free. The vehicle would be extremely quiet and clean – with respect to the environment and reduced traffic zones in the inner city.
The 111 kW electric motor in the Vivaro e-Concept propulsion system delivers 370Nm of torque and would offer 100 kilometers pure electric driving
Opel Vivaro e Concept video:
range. On longer, regional hauls or shuttle services, range-extender switches on, extending the total driving range to more than 400 kilometers. Thanks to Opel’s extended range propulsion concept, engineers foresee the Vivaro e-Concept as capable of driving permanently with engine and electric motor propulsion, enabling drivers to reach distant destinations with the confidence and peace of mind that a depleted battery will not strand them.
Intelligently stowed energy
Opel engineers have mounted the batteries, which can be re-charged on a standard household 230-volt outlet under the floor of the Vivaro e-Concept. There, the lithium ion battery modules are protected from the weather. At the same time the modules provide a low center of gravity for good handling characteristics, protecting especially from crosswind influence.
