Electric and hydrogen additions to the Vauxhall LCV range will make their global debut at the CV Show later this month.
At the event, held at the NEC Birmingham between 31st August and 2nd September, Vauxhall will display what is describes as a fully electric range for its fleet and business customers.
The already available Vivaro-e, winner of the 2021 International Van of the Year award, will be joined by the new Movano-e large van and Combo-e compact van. Vauxhall claims the title of first fully-electric large LCV for the Movano-e, which offers a cargo volume of up to 17m3 and an official battery range of up to 139 miles.
The Combo-e joins the successful petrol and diesel variants of the compact van. It has a load volume of 4.4m3 and employs a 50kWh battery, providing a claimed range of 171 miles between charges.
It won’t all be battery-electric vehicles on the Vauxhall stand however. Making its UK debut will be the new Vivaro-e Hydrogen. This uses a hydrogen fuel-cell powertrain, which gives it a potential 249-mile range combined with refuelling in only three minutes.
With a cargo volume of 6.1m3, the Vivaro-e Hydrogen will go on sale in left-hand-drive markets at the end of 2021. Right-hand-drive versions are expected on UK sale early in 2023.
Completing the CV show debutants will be a Platform Cab Concept variant of the Vivaro-e, Vauxhall’s first factory-built electric van. Created in conjunction with conversion specialist Paneltex, the concept is aimed at customers such as supermarket and retailers looking for vehicles to carry out short-distance home deliveries, within one to two hours, in urban areas.
The major CV Show presence comes at a strong point for Vauxhall’s LCV operation – in July, owner Stellantis announced a £100 million investment in the British brand’s Ellesmere Port manufacturing plant to transform the site into an electric vehicle manufacturing centre.
Ellesmere Port will become the first Stellantis plant to produce a solely battery-electric model, in both commercial and passenger versions, by the end of next year. The Combo-e and Combo-e Life will be manufactured at the plant for both domestic and export markets.
