New Vauxhall Combo Electric van review

The new Vauxhall Combo Cargo Electric arrives as demand for compact electric vans is flattening out a little, so it needs to be good to win over buyers. Indeed, this electric version of the Vauxhall Combo van is not alone in getting a refresh.

As part of the Europe-wide Stellantis Group, it shares its body panels, motors, battery, underpinnings and interior trim with the Citroën ë-Berlingo, Fiat e-Doblo and Peugeot e-Partner. There’s also the identical Toyota Proace City Electric, which is built under a joint-venture agreement.

Combined, Stellantis sells more electric vans than its rivals, but then its rivals are few and far between. The Mercedes eCitan, Nissan Townstar EV and Renault Kangoo E-Tech – which all share parts – are impressive alternatives to the Combo Cargo Electric. There's the larger and more expensive Maxus eDeliver 3 too.

The 2024 Combo Electric van – previously called the Combo-e – gets significant improvements to the battery and motor, increasing the overall range to just over 200 miles (according to WLTP test results). Beyond the electric parts, there’s a new nose and a few changes to the bumper's shape, while inside there’s a new, larger infotainment screen and, on some models, a digital instrument panel for the driver.

Read on to find out how we rate the new Vauxhall Combo Cargo Electric against the best electric vans...

Read more: How we test vans

Under the Vauxhall Combo Cargo Electric's stubby bonnet is a 134bhp electric motor powered by a new 50kWh battery pack. Thanks to efficiency gains, it can officially run for up to 205 miles on a single charge.

You'll get similar ranges from equivalent Stellantis small electric vans, while the Renault Kangoo E-Tech and its Mercedes and Nissan equivalents make do with a smaller 45kWh battery and a 176-mile range.

Three drive modes – Eco, Normal and Power – help to balance efficiency with performance, but you’ll only get close to the 205-mile target in the constrained Eco mode. That cuts power by 40%, encouraging gentler driving.

Even in Eco mode, performance off the line is strong, making it suitable for urban use. Combined with three levels of regenerative braking that can slow the van to a crawl, it’s an efficient and easy way to move loads around the city.

It’s definitely less efficient on the open road, where using more performance means using more battery. The energy recovery takes a hit too, as the strongest setting doesn’t work well on flowing tarmac.

It’s there you’ll notice how comfortable the Combo Cargo Electric is – although that's perhaps unsurprising because it shares underpinnings with the Peugeot 308 and Citroën C4 (among others). It’s not quite as smooth as a car, but soaks up crashy surfaces and broken road facings well. The steering is light and precise, and it handles well both laden and unladen.

It can’t quite match the Mercedes eCitan for handing, but Mercedes achieves that by sacrificing comfort. The Nissan Townstar EV and Renault Kangoo E-Tech have a different suspension set-up, which moves the needle the other way, making them closer in feel to the Combo.

As an urban delivery van, the Combo Cargo Electric ticks a lot of boxes. Now, with its longer range, it’s also much more practical for those who occasionally venture beyond the city limits.

There are two trim levels on the Vauxhall Combo Cargo Electric – and it’s clear which one is aimed at fleet managers: the entry-level Prime models, which gets the basics but not much else.

There is air conditioning, cruise control, heated door mirrors, parking sensors, automatic lights and a load of safety tech, but no infotainment touchscreen. Instead Prime trim includes a "smartphone station" – a solid clamp for a phone in the middle of the dashboard.

If you download a Vauxhall app to your phone, you can use it for navigation, streaming audio and to monitor driving efficiency. Most will, of course, use their own music and sat-nav apps instead. The lack of a touchscreen does mean there are physical controls for heating and ventilation – good news for usability.

The other trim option is called Pro, and gets you Vauxhall’s Multimedia Pro Navi infotainment system, with a 10in touchscreen with built-in sat-nav and voice recognition. The driver's display is upgraded to a 10in digital screen.

You also get a Dynamic Surround View system, which projects a view from the back of the van and both sides to a digital rear-view mirror. It’s a helpful system when it comes to changing lanes and driving in traffic, but judging distances is harder than with a real mirror. Reverse parking manoeuvres are best conducted using the mirrors and parking sensors to judge distance accurately.

The Pro also gets adaptive, glare-free Intellilux matrix LED headlights, which automatically cut out oncoming road users from their beams, ensuring drivers have a clear view ahead without dazzling others. No other Stellantis small van has that feature, and it’s superb if you do a lot of driving at night.

Prime models get plenty of space inside, but that’s because there are only two seats. For a two-person bench seat on the passenger side, you’ll need the Pro model, which also has the advantage of secure under-seat storage.

Interior space is similar among all the compact electric vans on the market, but the Combo Cargo Electric feels more spacious than the eCitan, Townstar and Kangoo because of its more upright windscreen.

The Vauxhall Combo Cargo Electric is available in two body lengths for the UK market: regular and XL.

The regular van is as compact as a mid-size hatchback at 4.4m long, while the XL is 4.75m. The extra 35cm of the XL van adds 20% to the load volume, taking it from 3.3m³ to 3.9m³.

The Combo Cargo Electric shares the honours for best-in-class load volumes with the Mercedes eCitan, Nissan Townstar EV and Renault Kangoo E-Tech. The Combo (and related Stellantis vans) tops the table for the shorter models, matching its rivals, but the Kangoo-based trio beat the XL model by 0.3m³.

Load lengths vary by insignificant amounts, with the differences between the Combo and rival electric vans no more than a couple of centimetres.

Payload limits reach as high as 781kg, which tops every one of its rivals, bar the Maxus eDeliver 3 with its 945kg capability. That’s still significantly less than the diesel-powered Vauxhall Combo Cargo can carry, of course.

The standard body has a single sliding side-loading door and barn-style double doors at the back. There’s plenty of room for a couple of Euro pallets, and 10 lashing points to keep them secure. The XL models get a second sliding door.

A basic Crew Van is available on XL Prime models, which gives up a large chunk of its cargo area to seating, leaving you with just 1.8m³, but with the ability to move six people around.

With five near-identical electric vans to choose from, it’s surprising that the Vauxhall Combo Cargo Electric is noticeably more expensive than some others in the Stellantis stable. While the differences in price tags are relatively small, it's definitely worth speaking to a Citroën or Peugeot dealer about the twin vans.

On the plus side, the Combo Electric comfortably undercuts the Mercedes eCitan and Nissan Townstar EV, as well as the larger Maxus eDeliver 3.

Stepping up from entry-level Prime trim to Pro adds a couple of thousand pounds to the price, but owner-operators might favour the extra equipment and comfort that comes with the higher specification. It also means there’ll be fewer options to pick, as the Pro’s specification is comprehensive. 

When the battery runs low, the Combo Cargo Electric can be topped up with a maximum charging speed of up to 100kW – twice the rate of the previous (Combo-e) model, and fast enough to give you a 0-80% charge in about half an hour. The onboard charger, meanwhile, is a 7kW unit compatible with most home charger sockets, giving a 100% charge in under eight hours, ensuring the van will be fully charged every morning.

All Combo Cargo Electrics come with a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty, alongside an eight-year warranty on the battery. Vauxhall expects to see the vehicle for servicing every two years or 25,000 miles. Warranty cover is the same for the Citroen, Fiat and Peugeot versions. Mercedes and Renault cover their vans for three years and at least 100,000 miles, while Nissan extends it to five years.

The standout is the Toyota Proace City Electric, which is covered for up to 10 years (you need to use an official centre for servicing). You pay more for the van and there’s still a 100,000-mile limit, but the extended coverage is great for small businesses or owner-operators who cover fewer miles.

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