Vauxhall celebrated a double win at the What Van? Awards 2022, with the All-New Vauxhall Combo-e named the What Van? Electric Van of the Year, while the Vivaro-e won the Medium Van of the Year category. Vauxhall’s Vivaro-e Hydrogen rounded off the honours, being named as ‘another one to watch’ in the One to Watch category.
The electric vehicle awards come at a time when Vauxhall is one of few manufacturers in the UK capable of offering fleets and customers a fully electric variant across its entire Light Commercial Vehicle range. Vauxhall has committed to selling electric-only vehicles from 2028 onwards.
The multiple award-winning Vauxhall Combo-e was named What Van? Electric Van of the Year. Judges praised the Combo-e for its excellent electric range and load capacity, while Vauxhall’s comprehensive service network was also taken into account.
James Dallas, Editor, What Van?, said: “The Vauxhall Combo-e is a sophisticated electric van with a decent range and no compromise on load volume and payload. Vauxhall’s prominent position in the UK, including a comprehensive servicing network, means the Combo-e can be a game-changer for businesses in the compact electric van sector.”
Powered by a 50kWh battery and a 136hp electric motor, the Combo-e is capable of up to 171 miles from a single charge. The Combo-e also comes with a 4.4m3 load volume, which is identical to its petrol and diesel counterparts. Supporting up to 100kW rapid charging, an 80 per cent charge can be completed in under 30 minutes – making the Combo-e ideal for businesses after a practical and affordable van. By the end of next year, the Combo-e , and all-electric Combo-e Life MPV, will be manufactured at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant – which has received a £100 million investment from Stellantis, as the site enters a new era in electric vehicle manufacturing.
The Vauxhall Vivaro-e starred in the Medium Van category, with What Van? Judges impressed by the Vivaro-e’s extensive range and superb load capacity.
James Dallas, Editor, What Van?, added: “The electric version of the popular Vivaro has proven to be what many fleets aiming to switch to EVs in the high-volume medium van sector have been looking for. With refinement at least the equal of its diesel sibling, impressive loading capacity and the ability to cover 200 miles between battery charges, the Vivaro-e has brought EV technology into the mainstream.”
Available with either a 50kWh or a 75kWh battery, the Vivaro-e is capable of up to 205 miles from a single charge on the larger battery variants and comes with a maximum load volume of 6.6m3.
Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “We would like to thank the judges at What Van? for recognising the All-New Combo and Vivaro 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.”
The Vivaro-e Hydrogen prototype vehicle also drew praise from What Van? in the ‘One to Watch’ category. With a 249-mile range and a three-minute refuelling time thanks to the hydrogen fuel cell technology onboard, the Vivaro-e Hydrogen is also capable of carrying up to 6.1m3 of cargo. Vauxhall is already speaking to corporate fleets ahead of a UK launch in 2023.
