Vauxhall Movano Electric review

The new Vauxhall Movano and Movano Electric are available exclusively in highly-equipped Prime trim. Customers can choose from a wide range of body styles, with a choice of three vehicle lengths, two wheelbases and three heights, as well as Panel Van, Window Van, chassis Doublecab, platform and back to back versions. The largest van in Vauxhall’s LCV line-up offers exceptional practicality, with up to 17m³ of cargo volume and a payload of up to two tonnes.

The New Movano Electric is powered by an electric motor producing 272PS and 400Nm of torque – increases of 150PS and 140Nm over its predecessor. Thanks to the new 110kWh battery, the New Movano Electric can cover up to 261 miles (WLTP) on a single charge and is equipped as standard with a three-phase 11kW onboard charger. It is also the first Vauxhall capable of charging at 150kW from a DC rapid charger, enabling a 0-80% charge in just 55 minutes.

Additional practicality is provided by the new, optional 230V socket, positioned conveniently in the centre of the dashboard. This helps to easily charge electrical devices such as laptops, electric tool batteries, tablets and other low power appliances that require electricity up to 150 Watts.

Movano customers will be able to choose from another zero-emissions-in-use option from later this year, with orders for the Movano HYDROGEN set to open in Q4 ahead of first deliveries in 2025. The innovative hydrogen fuel cell vehicle will offer a range of up to 311 miles (WLTP) and can be refuelled in approximately five minutes. 

The New Movano is also available with a 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine producing 140PS and paired with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearbox. A 180PS version can also be specified with the automatic gearbox.

An extensive array of safety systems are included as standard on the New Movano, including a rear-view parking camera, rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition and intelligent speed assist. The Movano is also capable of level two autonomous driving for the first time (available on automatic models in conjunction with specific option packs). The combination of adaptive cruise control with ‘Stop & Go’ function, lane positioning assist and traffic jam assist enables the Movano to steer, brake and accelerate itself at speeds up to 18mph - for example in slow traffic – provided that the driver’s hands remain on the steering wheel.

Inside, the New Movano Electric is fitted with a 10-inch touchscreen featuring a fully integrated TomTom® satellite navigation system, voice recognition and Apple CarPlay™/Android Auto™. Electric models are also equipped with Vauxhall Connect and a seven-inch digital instrument cluster. Meanwhile, the diesel Movano features a five-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth® and DAB radio, combined with a 3.5-inch driver information display.

For greater comfort and convenience, the Movano Electric benefits from keyless entry and go, an electronic parking brake and automatic air conditioning.

Prices for the New Movano (L2H1 Panel Van) start at £32,285 OTR (exc. VAT), while the Movano Electric (L3H2 Panel Van) is available from £46,135 OTR (after Plug-in Van Grant, exc. VAT) – a saving of £12,350 compared to the outgoing model.

An manufacturers are practically tumbling over themselves in their eagerness to promote the virtues of going electric. In almost all cases their publicity material spotlights their battery-powered models, with diesel versions pushed unceremoniously into the shadows.

Partly, it's because they understandably wish to recoup the substantial investment they have made in electric technology. The key driver, however, is that they fear the substantial fines that could be imposed on them by the government's ZEV (Zero-Emission Vehicles) mandate.

It sets an electric new van sales target of 16% this year, up from 10% last year and rising in incremental steps to 100% by 2035. While the government may be softening its approach a little given global economic turmoil, van producers that breach the target face a fine of £15,000 for every non-compliant diesel or petrol van sold.

European van manufacturers face an additional problem. Chinese electric van producers are increasingly making their presence felt, with Maxus already a well-established player, and newcomers such as Farizon certain to have an impact too.

It was with these considerations in mind that we got to grips with Vauxhall's Movano Electric van. Sold with two different lengths and two different heights, and in glazed van and chassis cab guise, it comes with a 205kW/279hp electric motor – so it is not short of power.

Vauxhall is part of the Stellantis group, whose roster of brands also includes Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat Professional. The three brands sell their own, rebadged version of Movano Electric.

Citroen's is the e-Relay, Peugeot's is the E-Boxer, while Fiat Professional's is the E-Ducato. A joint venture with Stellantis means that Toyota markets a version too under the Proace Max Electric banner.

The Movano Electric we sampled was an L3/H2 with a 13m3 load area. Categorised as an N1 model, it grosses at 3.5 tonnes and can only handle a modest 710kg payload. It can tow a braked trailer grossing at 2,400kg, but remember that hauling a trailer is likely to reduce your range drastically.

The same model is also available in N2 guise grossing at 4.25 tonnes, and can shift a more generous 1,460kg. Built with two different lengths and two different heights, the 4.25-tonne Movano Electric van is further sold as an L3/H3, an L4/H2, and an L4/H3 with load cubes of up to 17m3. It is also produced as an L4/H2 glazed panel van and as a chassis cab.

Our demonstrator was in Prime trim, the sole level of trim available.

Load bay

Twin rear doors and a sliding nearside door provide access to the cargo area, and the door apertures are commendably wide and high. The back doors can be swung through 90 degrees, and through 180 degrees if you release the stays. At 557mm, the rear loading height is commendably low, but we still think that grab handles for easier entry would make sense for both the rear and nearside door apertures.

Eight tie-down points are set into the floor, and you will find two more at the base of the full-height steel bulkhead. There are a further three at waist level on the offside plus two more at waist level on the nearside.

With that many lashing points, there is no excuse for failing to secure cargo properly.

A shelf above the cab accessible solely from the load area is a handy place to store restraint straps.

With protective hardboard panels fitted solely to the back doors and the rear door, and nowhere else, our demonstrator's load bay was lamentably exposed to scratches, scrapes and dents and desperately needed timbering out. The wheel boxes looked especially vulnerable.

Interior and equipment

The cab interior leaves you with the (not-entirely-inaccurate) impression that offering Movano with an electric powertrain came as a bit of an afterthought, and the quality of the switchgear and plastic trim is not of the highest. That said, what you get for your money is a reasonably-habitable working environment with plenty of useful features.

Movano Electric comes with an electronic parking brake and a push-button starter. You turn a knob on the dashboard to select P for Park, R for Reverse, N for Neutral or D for Drive.

A button next to it allows you to choose different drive modes. Normal is adequate most of the time, but you can opt for Power if you need to nip past a queue of slow-moving traffic when it is safe to do so, or Eco if you want to maximise the vehicle's range.

The dashboard is dominated by a 7in touch-screen. Happily, conventional switches controls the heating, ventilation and automatic air-conditioning, among other functions, and a good old-fashioned knob is used to switch the radio on and off, and alter the volume.

As a consequence, the driver doesn't need to spend ages prodding the screen simply because he wants to turn up BBC Radio 4 or Times Radio, although as it happens the screen is far more user-friendly than many we have encountered.

A DAB radio is included in the deal as are Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and voice control. Vauxhall Connect hopefully gives you rapid access to emergency support in the event of an accident.

The 7in digital instrument cluster shows the level of charge left in the battery plus the all-important remaining range.

Our demonstrator came complete with an extra-cost City and Visibility Plus pack which includes a digital rear view camera along with other useful features, including a 230V power point and LED headlights. When you are driving, a camera in the third rear brake light projects a view of what's behind you onto a screen which substitutes for the rear-view mirror. camera should hopefully ensure that you don't bash into anything – or anyone – during low-speed manoeuvring.

It's a three-seater cab, and legroom for the middle passenger is restricted. On the other hand, the amount of storage space for all the odds and sods drivers haul around with them is pretty generous.

There are two roomy bins with a moulding sculpted to accommodate a flask or a bottle of water plus two small shelves in each of the doors. Other stowage facilities include a lidded, but not lockable, glove-box with a shelf above it and a lidded tray above that.

Three shelves are positioned on top of the fascia, with another shelf just below the heating and ventilation controls.

You'll find a smartphone holder and a couple of cup-holders on a moulding that projects from the bottom of the dashboard – one of the reasons why the middle passenger's leg space is compromised.

Pull down the centre section of the middle seat's back and it turns into a desk with a clipboard to keep paperwork tidy plus two more cup-holders.

Including lumbar adjustment and an armrest, the driver's seat is height-adjustable. So is the steering wheel, and paddles on each side of the steering column allow you to increase (or decrease) the level of regeneration; the amount of kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost when you take your foot off the accelerator and the van slows down.

The energy is pumped into the battery, and boosts your range, with four different levels of regeneration available.

Another feature designed to help increase range is an aerodynamic kit made up of a spoiler and an active grille shutter.

Onboard safety systems include ABS, Electronic Stability Control, Advanced Emergency Braking System and Intelligent Speed Assist, which automatically sets and adjusts your speed to keep you a safe distance from the vehicle ahead.

Lane Support System is there to stop you drifting out of your lane on the motorway, while Traffic Sign Recognition alerts you to the speed in force on the road you are heading down.

Driver and passenger airbags are provided, just in case.

Our van's 16in steel wheels were shod with Nexus Roadian GTX 215/75 R16 tyres. A pressure monitoring system watches over them.

Powertrain

Linked to a single-speed automatic gearbox, the electric motor delivers 410Nm of torque and draws power from a 110kWh battery. An 11kW onboard charger was fitted to our test van, but a 22kW charger is now standard.

That cuts charging time if you are using a three-phase wall-box from 11 hours and 45 minutes to six hours and five minutes, Vauxhall claims. Plug the van into a 150kW DC rapid charger then you can achieve a 0% to 80% charge in 55 minutes, it adds.