The city car of the future will be electric – and quite small. At least find Opel and bring it to market in a few months. In terms of its specifications, however, it is more suitable for 30 km / h zones than for general city traffic.
On the Viennese belt, especially on Triester Straße, the Opel Rocks-e would be a traffic obstacle, it shouldn’t even hit the tangent. Because it is, so to speak, an electric moped car with a top speed of 45 km / h.
The micro-mobile transports two occupants and light luggage with no local emissions, can travel up to 75 kilometers without stopping the charging process and is likely to start at a price well below 10,000 euros.
The 2.41 meter long Rocks-e is based on the Citroen Ami presented in 2019 and uses the same compact box shape as the French. The two occupants enter through side doors that open in opposite directions, luggage is stowed in the passenger footwell. The seat for the second occupant is mounted slightly backwards, which should benefit the legroom.
It is powered by a 6 kW / 8.2 PS electric motor, which is supplied with electricity by a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. It is fully charged within around 3.5 hours at the household socket. Charging at a public column is also possible using a type 2 adapter. The Rocks-e is said to be particularly suitable for short-haul traffic in the city center. The top speed, which is limited to 45 km / h, not only keeps energy consumption low, but also makes the vehicle usable for young people. A class AM driving license is required, which is available from the age of 15.
However, the Rocks-e will not come to Austria. In Germany it will be available to order from autumn. Opel has not yet announced when it will be delivered. The Rüsselsheim-based company does not name a price, the Rocks-e brother Citroen Ami is available in France from around 6,000 euros. The favorable price is also possible because Ami and Rocks-e do not fall into the “M” passenger car vehicle class, but into the “L6e” class for light vehicles. There the demands on equipment and crash safety are lower. The Citroen Ami should have been delivered in Austria from 2022 – but that was recently canceled. (SPX)