New Opel Vivaro-e voted International Van of the Year 2021

• Expert jury: Opel Vivaro-e elected IVOTY by 24 LCV journalists and publishers
• Second winner within two years: Opel Combo won IVOTY award in 2019
• Opel LCV-electrification: “E”-variants of Combo, Movano follow Vivaro-e next year

New Opel Vivaro-e is International Van of the Year 2021

New Opel Vivaro-e is International Van of the Year 2021 (IVOTY). The all-electric van from the German carmaker was elected by an expert jury of 24 journalists and publishers from independent LCV magazines.

Available in three lengths and with many body variants, the battery electric Vivaro-e enables professionals to benefit from uncompromised zero-emission mobility – well beyond the “last mile”. Vivaro-e customers can choose between two sizes of lithium ion battery, depending on their needs: with 75 kWh for a range of up to 330 kilometres, or for those who have a less intensive daily use of their vehicle, with 50 kWh for up to 230 km, both in the WLTP 1 test cycle.

“We are very proud that the new Vivaro-e has been voted International Van of the Year 2021,” said Opel CEO, Michael Lohscheller, “and I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to the experts from the IVOTY jury for this award, the greatest one can dream of in the light commercial vehicle business. The Vivaro-e sets new standards in its market segment and leads the electrification of Opel’s LCV portfolio. Next year, we will add “e”-variants of the Combo and Movano, which means it will be completely electrified before the end of 2021! Today, Opel is electrifying its entire portfolio at a fast pace, with no less than six models already available either as battery electric or hybrid vehicles. We will have electrified versions of all our passenger cars and light commercial vehicles by 2024.”

Based on the Groupe PSA EMP2 platform, the Vivaro-e offers an exceptionally wide range of driver assistance systems – as recognised by the IVOTY jury. In addition to a head-up display, the Vivaro-e features lane keep assist, extended traffic sign recognition, drowsiness alert, forward collision alert and automatic emergency braking.

Opel already won the International Van of the Year award with the Astra Van in 1999, the first generation Vivaro in 2002 and the Combo in 2019.

 [1] Range determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151). The actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning.

New Opel Mokka-e Wins Connected Car Award

• Fully digital: New Opel Mokka conquers compact car segment
• High-tech: Pure Panel ensures drivers get the information they need
• Clear and simple: Intuitive operation and clever services make driving more relaxed

New Opel Mokka-e Wins Connected Car Award 2020

Opel Mokka-e has won the “Connected Car Award 2020”. New all-electric vehicle from the German carmaker was elected winner of the hotly contested compact car category by the readers of Auto Bild and Computer Bild.

New Opel Mokka-e

Commenting on winning the “Connected Car Award”, Managing Director Engineering, Marcus Lott said: “With our new Opel Mokka-e, we offer our customers the full package. Drivers get all the information they need from two widescreens in the digital Pure Panel. Infotainment portfolio also provides top connectivity. Systems are intuitive to use and the ‘OpelConnect’ services make driving even more enjoyable”.

New Opel Mokka-e: Pure Panel

Opel has already won the “Connected Car Award” several times, such as with the Corsa, Insignia and Vivaro. Designed to arouse emotions and show the way forward for the brand, the new Opel Mokka and Mokka-e are the first to wear the new brand face, Opel Vizor. Same goes for the redesigned Opel “Blitz” emblem and the centrally aligned model name at the rear. New Opel Mokka is also the first Opel with the Pure Panel and a fully digital cockpit.

New Opel Mokka-e: Opel Vizor and redesigned Opel “Blitz” emblem

New Opel Mokka connects and entertains drivers and passengers perfectly. Infotainment offer includes Multimedia Radio and Multimedia Navi systems with a 7.0 inch colour touchscreen and the top-of-the-line Multimedia Navi Pro with a high-resolution 10.0 inch colour touchscreen. Monitors are integral with the new Pure Panel and angled towards the driver. Display of the Driver Info Centre (DIC) extends to 12 inches. Driver and front-seat passenger can place their smartphones in the storage tray provided in the centre console, where compatible telephones can recharge inductively (wireless). In addition, the “OpelConnect” service offers LIVE Navigation 1 with real-time traffic information and current fuel prices, plus a direct link to breakdown assistance and emergency calls.

New Opel Mokka-e: Pure Panel with Multimedia Navi Pro

[1] LIVE Navigation services free of charge for 36 months after activation. Fee due there after.

Big Jubilee on Rails: Opel Works Railway is 100

Happy birthday: a century in service of smooth and efficient logistics

Opel works railway is celebrating its 100th birthday. However, the soot-black steam engines that first chuffed along the lines in 1920 are long forgotten. Current generation of bright yellow locomotives are in every sense much cleaner and continue to make an important contribution to the company’s efficient logistics.

A clever location

Founder Adam Opel had already chosen a location close to the Rüsselsheim station for his new factory in 1868. Fifty years later, after decades of successful expansion in the production of sewing machines, bicycles and cars, his sons realised how beneficial it would be if the company had its own rail link. After all, the delivery of raw materials and components are just as important as transporting finished products from the plant. Therefore, in 1918, Carl von Opel got in touch with the Königlich Preußischen und Großherzoglich Hessischen Eisenbahndirektion in Mainz. His plans found approval and two years later, the first of the company’s own shunting locomotives hit the rails – from then on, it was full steam ahead for the Opel works railway.

Linked to the whole of Europe

First locomotives were still steam driven. Oldest on record was from the Hohenzollern locomotive factory in Düsseldorf. Opel acquired the Oberkassel-type shunter, produced in 1914, from the Dormagen sugar factory. Like all Opel works locomotives, it had a “normal” track width of 1,435 millimetres, which is still the standard width today in Europe, North Africa, North America and China. Tracks in Rüsselsheim were therefore compatible from the very beginning with the international rail network.

“Traversers” move into Rüsselsheim

Rüsselsheim plant took an important step towards modern logistics in 1929, when Opel’s very own railway station, with a 7,000 m2 freight yard and six tracks, went into operation. Three tracks were equipped with specially designed “traversers” (transfer tables for loading cars onto transporter trains, which could load around 300 cars in a single eight-hour shift). A mobile underslung crane, capable of carrying five tons, was available for general cargo. Building replaced the previously used hall on the grounds of the Reichsbahn and quickly became the key to continued successful growth.

Diesel replaces steam

Age of steam lasted only briefly at Opel. Two brand new diesels joined the locomotive fleet in 1927. Deutz PMZ 203 R machines produced by Motorenfabrik Oberursel featured 55hp two-cylinder, two-stroke engines. An 83 hp PMD 230 R joined them in 1928, followed in 1942 by a coal gas powered Deutz GA6M 420 R with six-cylinder engine. Brandenburg plant, which opened in 1935, also possessed its own rail link and a Deutz diesel locomotive.

Opel retired all its steam engines in 1948. It took until 1977 for the Deutsche Bahn (DB) to take the same step in modernization, until 1988 in East Germany. After the Second World War, Opel started over with exclusively new machines. First to arrive was a Gmeinder N 130 in 1946, followed by five brand new Deutz locomotives between 1952 and 1961. Additional machines from Orestein & Koppel came in 1965/66.

Works railway expanded alongside the steady growth of the Rüsselsheim plant. K100 railway loading building replaced the Opel station. In 1973, the internal rail network was 23.5 kilometres long, including 50 loading areas as well as 126 points and crossings.

Just in time

Opel works railway has always been characterised by two things. First, the Opel locomotives deliver and collect DB waggons on public tracks, which requires a lot of coordination. Second, the rail movements around the plant are tricky because around half the rails are on roads also used by drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. That requires high concentration from the head of Opel’s railway, Ulrich Knissel and his team.

Just-in-time delivery has added more challenges in the last few decades. Exactly timed production process also demands high precision from the works railway. Much of the transportation of components between plants still takes place via rail as well – especially in the case of the Kaiserslautern plant.

Well cared for

All Opel’s locomotives are regularly serviced in the company’s own workshops. Strict rules and regulations must be followed. In the 100th year of the Opel works railway, there are still five locomotives in service in Rüsselsheim. Bright yellow fleet consists of two massive Henschel DHG 500 C, two MaK G 321 and one O&K MB 10 N. Three more O&K locomotives are based in Kaiserslautern.