Vauxhall Combo Electric (2021 – 2024) Review

The latest version of the Vauxhall Combo is bigger and more practical than its predecessor and has been a big hit with fleets and private users, but how does the all-electric version measure up to its rivals and its diesel siblings? Read our Vauxhall Combo Electric review to find out.

Sharing its bodywork, electric motor and battery technology with the Peugeot e-Partner, Citroen e-Berlingo and Toyota Proace City Electric, the Vauxhall Combo offers a 171-mile range (based on the WLTP test cycle) and a payload of up to 800kg, with between 3.3 and 3.9 cubic metres of load space.

It uses a 51kWh battery pack and an electric motor offering up to 136PS depending on driving mode.

The Vauxhall Combo Electric can also use CCS rapid charging with a maximum speed of 100kW - allowing a 0-80% charge in around 30 minutes on a 100Kw charger. The onboard charger, meanwhile, is a 7Kw unit compatible with most home sockets, but a three-phase compatible 11kW charger is offered an option for larger business users. A standard at-home charge will take about 7.5 hours.

There are two trim levels – entry-level Prime and more upmarket Pro – and two different body lengths – L1 and L2. In addition, the battery comes with an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty.

As with its sister models from the other brands, the two body options on the Vauxhall Combo Electric are named L1 and L2 and are 4.4 or 4.75-metres long, the latter of which is offered in a crew van formation with a rear bench seat.

The L1 shorter body has a single sliding side-loading door and barn-style double doors at the back. In L2 layout, you get a second sliding door. The L2 will swallow two Euro pallets in panel van configuration, while the maximum loading width is 1630mm, with space between the wheel arches of 1229mm. The payload is 803kg for the L1 model and 751kg for the L2, which weighs more to start with and comes with twin side loading doors as standard. The crew cab is rated at 721kg payload and all models have a 750kg towing weight.

There are two trim levels - Prime or Pro, with the latter costing £1650 more. The Prime is aimed at business users but still gets air con, cruise control, a five-inch touchscreen, a full-size bulkhead and rear parking sensors.

Go for the Pro and you get an eight-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, along with body-coloured mirrors and bumpers and front fog lights – it’s a smarter van, more suited to SMEs and sole traders who want to make a good impression.

Opt for the Pro spec and you can also get the FlexCargo Pack, which comes with a split twin passenger seat, the middle half of which folds flat to allow longer narrow items to be carried through a loading hatch, or which can be used as a work table. It’s a clever and useful design.

The seating position is good and the interior plastics and trim are better than you find in many vans, no doubt as a result of the Vauxhall Combo and its sister models also being offered as passenger cars. There are also a number of flexible storage options in the cabin, with large door pockets, a dash-top cubby and a secret storage box under the passenger seat.

All versions come with an ultrasonic alarm and deadlocks as standard.

The electric motor and battery technology on the Vauxhall Combo Electric are shared with several other models in the Stellantis Group including a number of passenger cars, so progress is both smooth and refined.

There are three separate driving modes: Eco, Normal and Power. Each delivers its own power output and the 171-mile range only applies in 81PS Eco mode. Expect closer to 130 miles in Normal mode, where the power output is 109PS and you’ll only get the full 136PS in Power mode, which saps battery power but is useful for merging with fast traffic via slip roads.

There are also a number of driver assistance and safety features, including lane departure warning, blind spot assist, hill start assist, active safety-assisted braking and hill descent control.

It’s a very comfortable van to drive with good all-round visibility and like all electric vehicles the initial power delivery is quite sharp, so around town the Eco mode is more than sufficient for most duties. The ride is comfortable and soaks up crashy surfaces well and the steering is both light and precise. As an urban van, then, the Vauxhall Combo Electric ticks a lot of boxes.  

Where it falls short is the limited range in higher power modes, which makes it far better suited to short-distance operators and local businesses. For many it’ll be ideal as it’s a great van in every other respect, but those needing a longer range may prefer to wait for the next generation of battery technology that Stellantis is currently developing.