New Opel Rocks-e revealed: everything we know so far
August 25, 2021 by John Tallodi
Car changing is a big deal
The Opel Rocks-e is a tiny little electric city car that even a 15-year old car drive. Unfortunately, it isn’t destined for the UK. Read on for full details.
- Opel Rocks-e revealed
- Based on Citroen Ami
- 5.5kWh battery provides 47 miles of range
- 8hp motor, 28mph top speed
- Two-seat layout
- Initially only for German market
- No plans for UK launch
The Opel Rocks-e is a minuscule little city car based on the Citroen Ami. It offers two seats and just enough range and power for short trips around a city or suburb.
It will initially go on sale in Germany this Autumn – where 15-year olds with a light motor vehicle license can legally drive it- extending to other markets in 2022. There are no plans for it to come to the UK as a Vauxhall, though.
New Opel Rocks-e design
There are small cars, city cars and small city cars. Then there is the Opel Rocks-e, at 1.39 metres wide and 2.41 metres long this diminutive little car is 0.285 metres shorter than a Smart EQ fortwo and over a metre shorter than a ‘regular’ city car like a Kia Picanto.
A set of large black bumpers dominate the front and rear of the car, with tiny 14-inch wheels at each corner. The doors are as almost as wide as the wheelbase and the driver’s door is rear-hinged. Funky yellow detailing under the door sills and bumpers offset the black and grey colour of this particular example.
New Opel Rocks-e interior
The cabin offers the bare minimum of features, with a small digital driver display and a place on the dashboard to mount your phone.
There is a handy storage area running the length of the dashboard and the passenger footwell is extra deep, doubling as a storage area for shopping bags. Colourful door straps and hinged windows that fold outwards are about as luxurious as it gets.
New Opel Rocks-e batteries and range
The Opel Rocks-e shares its mechanical and electrical bits with the Citroen Ami. That means an 8hp electric motor coupled to a 5.5kWh battery pack which provides up to 48 miles of range.
This is marginally up on the Ami’s 44 mile range, likely as a result of the Rocks-e weighing a few kilos less.
A top speed of 28mph should be plenty for getting about crowded city streets or to nip down to the shops. The benefit of having such a small battery pack is that it can be fully recharged from a standard household socket in around 3.5 hours.
Will I be able to buy an Opel Rocks-e?
The new Opel Adam Rocks-e is available to buy in Germany, however there are no plans to bring it to the UK. The Citroen Ami is a virtually identical offering on our shores, and it costs the equivalent of around £5,500 in other markets, so expect the Opel Rocks-e to be similarly priced.
