Vauxhall continues the electrification of its product portfolio with the all-electric, flagship variant of the Vivaro Life, which is available with up to nine seats and in two lengths. Most versions of the Vivaro-e Life are less than 1.90 metres high and can therefore access typical underground garages – important for hotel shuttles. The option of a trailer hitch enables the Vivaro-e Life to tow trailers with a maximum capacity of 1,000kg.
Vauxhall has released the first pictures of the Vivaro-e, its first factory-built, fully-electric van, set to arrive in the market as more and more UK cities welcome emissions-free vehicles. Built on the same line as the diesel-engined Vivaro, and available to order from June in two lengths and two body variants, the Vivaro-e has a range of up to 188 miles on the WLTP cycle. Vauxhall says that multi-drop deliveries around large town and cities on a single charge will become a reality for British business users.
Vauxhall is providing 22 staff to the Luton site of Smiths Medical, a division of Smiths Group plc, which is being tasked with significantly increasing production of Smiths Group’s paraPAC plus. These ventilators are approved and have been in use within the NHS for over 10 years. The staff – 20 assemblers, plus a Team Leader and Supervisor – were hand-picked from Vauxhall’s Kimpton Road Plant that produces the Vivaro van. They were chosen due to their specialist skills and ability to carry out intricate production work to a very high standard.
Vauxhall will launch the new Vivaro-e next year, the pure battery electric version of its best-selling medium van. Following the addition of the all-electric Corsa-e and plug-in hybrid Grandland X Hybrid4 to its product range, the Vivaro-e marks the next chapter in Vauxhall’s electrification strategy.
Xavier Peugeot, Senior Vice-President of Groupe PSA’s Light Commercial Vehicles Business Unit, said: “Groupe PSA is pushing ahead with the electrification of its LCV range by offering electric versions of compact vans for business and individual customers. Without compromising on features, the range will help strengthen our leadership in this segment in Europe. In 2021, our entire range of LCVs and their passenger car equivalents will be electrified.”
