Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric review: EV people carrier with room for nine

The Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric is what’s known as a van-derived people carrier. The regular Vivaro is fitted with seats and windows, and turned into a humungous MPV. Because modern vans are really good to drive, the concept works better than you may think – particularly with the inherent refinement of an EV factored in.

With a commanding driving position and seating for up to nine people – or van-like load space if you remove some of them – no regular MPV can match the Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric for practicality. And although interior trim is a bit workmanlike, higher grades are still well equipped with car-like features. The Ultimate version even gets a full leather interior.

Unfortunately, the Vauxhall Vivaro Life’s bluff aerodynamics have a big impact on its range, particularly with the cheaper 50kWh battery. Motorway driving can be particularly precarious. The 75kWh battery is better, but it is a fair bit more expensive. It’s a great concept, but battery technology needs to come on a bit more for it to be a well-rounded machine.

I was able to test this massive people carrier in everyday driving conditions, including the motorway runs that proved so impactful on its range. It was a big machine to have on the driveway, but the cavernous interior justified this. I even spent some time working in it!

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Independent rating: 6/10

The Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric now offers a choice of two batteries. The original 50kWh unit has been joined by a 75kWh battery. This is a much-needed addition. The smaller battery only offers a range of 139 miles, due to its weight and decidedly unaerodynamic shape. The larger battery takes it up to 217 miles.

As these are test figures, the reality is that range will be lower in real life – that’s why the smaller battery proved so restrictive. The 75kWh unit at least gives owners the chance to cover around 150 miles or so before recharging – and an eco mode, which restricts power and use of the air con, helps stretch it further. The 50kWh battery may struggle to do 100 miles in everyday driving, particularly on the motorway. Maybe reflecting this, and to improve its poor efficiency, the top speed is limited to 81mph.

The Vauxhall Vivaro Electric can use 100kW DC rapid chargers. This isn’t the fastest rate around, but every little helps. A 0-80 per cent charge with the 50kWh battery takes 30 minutes (nobody charges from 0 per cent anyway). Going from 5 to 80 per cent with the 75kWh battery takes 45 minutes.

Performance isn’t this machine’s forte, but 0-62mph in 13.1 seconds will feel faster than it is, thanks to the electric motor’s punchy response. The lack of diesel clatter helps improve refinement too. Design grade is better here, as it has an acoustic pack, while Ultimate is even better, as it has thick carpeting on the floor.

It’s a pity the suspension is a bit clattery, though – and the ride can get bumpy on rough roads, particularly if you’re driving without anyone on board. Soft handling and slow steering further betray the van-based underpinnings.

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The Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric is huge inside. As in, you can almost stand up and walk around in it. This reflects its roots as a van, as does an interior that’s workmanlike but not as plush as a car-based people carrier.

The front seats are mounted very high, so you climb up to get in. Once there, panoramic large SUV-like visibility is a treat. Base Combi has a three-person front bench seat, with Design and Ultimate having two more conventional chairs.

Vauxhall Vivaro Life Combi models can seat nine people in total, across three rows, with access aided by sliding rear side doors. Design and Ultimate are eight-seaters, with the latter offering a VIP pack that cuts it back to six seats, each passenger enjoying their own fully-adjustable captain’s style chair.

The seat layout is very practical, particularly in Design and above, which have a 60/40 split-fold middle bench, and folding seats in the third row. This allows luggage space to be juggled according to how many people are on board. Boot space itself is enormous, making this a super-useful machine indeed.

Technology within the basic Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric Combi is pretty rudimentary. You do get air con, electric handbrake and electric windows, but things such as electric door mirrors are restricted to Design grade and above. Indeed, you don’t even get wheel covers or body-colour bumpers.

You do get a 10.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay though. This same infotainment system is shared across all three versions, with top-spec Ultimate adding in Vauxhall Connect sat nav. This version also gets a premium Tosca stereo, with four speakers in the front, four more in row two, plus a central dash speaker, subwoofer, and an amplifier to power it all.

Posh Ultimate also gets front and rear parking sensors, a blind spot warning system, climate control and rear air conditioning that includes roof controls for temperature and fan. Your passengers will think this an invaluable piece of technology. The driver can even open the door for them, thanks to the standard sliding rear side doors.

Entry-level prices are low for the Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric Combi, but the miserly standard equipment reflects this. It’s far too van-like for a modern people carrier. The jump up to the more usable 75kWh battery is around £5,500, and Design trim adds a further £5,600 – making the effective entry price a firm £50k. At least XL models, with their extra space, are only £900 more.

Insurance prices shouldn’t be too bad and charging at home is much cheaper than filling up with diesel. Vauxhall also has generous 25,000-mile service intervals, which should help high-mileage drivers cut running costs further.

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The Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric can charge from 0 to 80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes using a DC rapid charger.

The entry-level Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric is very competitively priced, but the one that makes most real-world sense is much more expensive. You do still get a huge amount of EV for your money, though.

Vauxhall offers an eight-year warranty on the Vivaro Life Electric’s battery, valid up to 100,000 miles.

The idea of an electric people carrier, based on a cavernous van, is a great one. It allows the maximum number of people and their luggage to travel in zero-emissions silence. However, the Vauxhall Vivaro Life Electric shows there’s still a bit of work to be done on range before it’s fully realised.