Opel Combo Electric Life 50 kWh

Overview

The Opel Combo-e 50 kWh is your trusty electric workhorse or family hauler, now available on the used market with an estimated price around €25,485. Discontinued in 2024, this Spanish-built minivan excels in practicality, offering versatile seating for 5 or 7 and a cavernous boot. It’s all about maximizing space and providing zero-emission motoring without breaking the bank. While not a speed demon, its 50 kWh battery (46.3 kWh usable) setup delivers a sensible package for those prioritizing utility and eco-friendly daily driving in and around the city.

What's New for 2024?

The 2024 model year marked the final curtain call for this particular version of the Combo-e 50 kWh as it was discontinued. While Opel did announce a refreshed Combo Electric for 2024, featuring the sleek 'Vizor' front end and upgraded tech, the model detailed by these specs represents the outgoing iteration. This specific configuration therefore largely carried over its familiar, well-loved features and powertrain from the previous year, representing a final opportunity to grab this established design before the updated version fully took over the showrooms.

Design & Exterior

The Combo-e 50 kWh isn't about flashy looks; it’s a masterclass in function-over-form design, typical of its van-derived roots. You get super-practical sliding rear doors, perfect for tight parking spots. Its boxy shape maximizes interior volume. Key dimensions are a tidy 4403 mm in length, 1921 mm wide (mirrors tucked in!), and a garage-friendly 1841 mm tall. This specific trim keeps things straightforward with standard lighting and wheel designs, emphasizing its role as a no-nonsense, practical people (and stuff) mover that just happens to be electric.

Interior, Tech & Cargo

Step inside the Combo-e 50 kWh and you'll find a cabin built for durability and ease of use. Expect plenty of hard-wearing plastics – it’s ready for family life or business duties! Space is generous, easily accommodating five, with a seven-seat option available, as indicated by its '5, 7' seat configuration. Cargo? Oh yes! You get a whopping 571 litres in the boot, expanding to a massive 2126 litres with the seats tumbled. No frunk, though. Infotainment usually centres around an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keeping you connected without fuss.

Performance & Driving Experience

Don't expect to win traffic light grands prix, but the Combo-e 50 kWh scoots from 0-100 km/h in a respectable 11.7 seconds. Its single front-mounted PMSM motor delivers 100 kW and a handy 260 Nm of torque, making it nippy enough for city driving and relaxed cruising up to its 135 km/h top speed. Being front-wheel drive, it’s predictable and easy to manage. The ride is generally comfortable, soaking up bumps well, and a 'B' mode for regenerative braking helps claw back some energy. It’s a smooth, quiet operator perfect for the daily grind.

Range, Battery & Charging

The Combo-e 50 kWh packs a 46.3 kWh usable battery, giving you a real-world range of around 233 km, as calculated by Green Cars Compare – enough for most daily duties. Energy consumption is a decent 5.03 km/kWh. Juice it up at home via its standard 7.4 kW AC charger (around 6.5 hours for a full top-up from empty), or the optional 11 kW unit (around 4.5 hours). Out and about, the European standard CCS Type 2 port, located conveniently, accepts up to 100 kW DC fast charging, getting you from 10-80% in about 30 minutes.

Safety & Driver-Assistance Features

Safety-wise, the Opel Combo-e secured a solid 4-star rating from Euro NCAP. While not class-leading, it’s decently equipped for its segment. Standard kit on this 50 kWh trim typically includes essentials like automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and traffic sign recognition. You'd often find features such as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and enhanced parking sensors available on higher specifications or as part of optional packs, so it's worth checking the individual specification of any used model. It provides a good foundation of safety for peace of mind.

Warranty & Maintenance Coverage

When purchased new in Europe, Opels typically came with a 2-year, unlimited kilometre vehicle warranty. Crucially for an EV like the Combo-e 50 kWh, the high-voltage battery was generally covered for 8 years or 160,000 km, with a guarantee against excessive degradation (often to 70% of original capacity). The electric powertrain components would also be covered, often aligning with the battery warranty. A major EV perk is reduced maintenance; fewer moving parts mean potentially lower running costs compared to combustion counterparts. Always verify specific warranty terms for used examples.