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Opel is sending new impulses to electric mobility. At the IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover, Germany, General Motors debuted a research project on a Vivaro e-Concept, an electric van with up to 400 km extended range. With this concept – not unlike the one used on the Chevrolet Volt – General Motors’ German brand 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 m3 storage capacity able to carry 750 kg of payload, 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 (150 hp) electric motor in the Vivaro e-Concept propulsion system delivers 273 lb ft of torque available from zero rpm and would offer 100 km pure electric driving range. On longer, regional hauls or shuttle services, range-extender switches on, extending the total driving range to more than 400 km. 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. Engineers have mounted the batteries, which can be recharged on a standard household 230 V 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.
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IAA 2010 – Vivaro e-Concept Study
