Opel Unveils The Rocks-e EV
Highlights
German carmaker Opel unveiled the Rocks-e electric vehicle and yes it's easily recognisable as something we've seen before – the Citroen AMI. Indeed, the Rocks-e EV is a rebadged AMI and can be driven in Germany by anyone from 15 years of age with an AM driving licence. The Rocks-e EV will slot below the Corsa-e and fits in well with the urban commuter, who wants to travel short distances. It seats two people and takes up less space in one's garage as well. It's just 2410 mm long and 1390 mm wide and weighs in at 471 kilograms.
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The Opel Rocks-e offers an all-electric range of up to 75 kilometres according to WLTP2, which can be covered at up to 45 kmph. This makes it ideal for everyday city traffic – not only for young drivers, but also for those who want to commute emissions-free and don't want to spend a long time looking for a parking space at their destination. The 14-inch wheels and turning circle of only 7.20 m make the Rocks-e ideal for the city, mastering tight corners and fitting into small parking spaces.
The 5.5 kWh battery of the Opel Rocks-e can be fully recharged in around 3.5 hours via any standard household socket. The accompanying three-metre-long charging cable is permanently housed in the SUM and simply pulled out of the passenger door when needed. Opel offers an adapter for charging at a public charging station.
Now on the looks front, the Rocks-e looks the same as the AMI. Inside, the two seats are offset to each other so that the front passenger has comfortable legroom and the driver can move their seat lengthwise. Headroom is ample, even for people more than 1.90 m tall. In addition, despite its compact dimensions, the new Rocks-e offers a luggage volume of up to 63 litres in the passenger footwell.
The cockpit is simple and yet boasts of some very nice touches. The display shows speed, driving mode (Drive, Neutral, Reverse), battery state of charge, remaining range and mileage at a glance. Practical details include the smartphone holder located on the centre console.