Opel Unveils Tiny Entry-Level EV

It can be fully recharged using any household socket.

German carmaker Opel last week unveiled a small electric vehicle: the Rocks-e SUM.

Far from an SUV, the SUM stands for “sustainable urban mobility.”

The two-seater has a 5.5 kWh battery that can be fully recharged in 3.5 hours using any household socket. 

But the EV's range is limited to slightly less than 47 miles per charge and the car tops out at less than 30 mph (45 km/h).

The car is less than 8 feet long, about 4.5 feet wide (without mirrors) and weighs just over 1,000 pounds.

Unique features include doors that open in the opposite direction, a panoramic glass roof, and a charging plug that is housed in the passenger door. 

Storage is limited to the passenger footwell and what the company calls a "smart hook" capable of holding an XXL-size shopping bag.

Opel hasn’t disclosed the Rocks-e’s price, but the car will be marketed towards new, young drivers beginning in the fall.

The entry-level vehicle is designed to bridge the gap between an electric scooter and a passenger car.


Latest in The IEN Team
More in The IEN Team