Farewell endurance tester: Opel Rocks Electric – FINAL REVIEW

Endurance test Opel Rocks Electric

Why this endurance test? Simply to investigate whether a microcar like this Rocks can replace a “normal” passenger car. In recent months you have seen several videos appearing on our Youtube channel. For example, we went into the maintenance of the Opel Rocks, you saw a heavily modified Rocks monster truck pass by, and we compared the Rocks to the Microlino Lite. Did you miss those videos? Check them out on our Youtube channel. On AutoRAI.nl we also went into the do’s and dont’s of this Opel Rocks Electric, also interesting to read back.

Electric moped

On paper, of course, the Opel Rocks is a moped, but increasingly we also hear the term citycar. There are more and more of these electric citycars. Think of the Citroën Ami and Fiat Topolino, the brothers of this Rocks. But you also have the Biro and Microlino. It’s a new form of mobility that can secretly be of interest to a lot of people. They are spotty in insurance, sufficiently comfortable, plenty of storage space and you sit dry. And that – in the case of this Opel Rocks Electric – for a minimum of 8,699 euros. You have to admit that that sounds interesting to the ears.

Can the Rocks replace a normal car?

The main question is whether this Opel Rocks Electric can replace a normal car. And for exactly what purposes you use such a Vauxhall. We have used the Opel Rocks Electric for a variety of purposes. You can think of:

• Family Visits
• Messenger car
• Barber visits
• Recreational rides
• Transporting the dog
• Rides to the forest
• For fun, to tour

Accepting extra travel time

So, in fact, for the same things you might use a car for. We did not miss a normal car during these trips. You settle for the top speed of 45 km/h and accept the often only a few minutes longer journey. If you are really exclusively taking rides around the neighborhood, then such an Opel is ideal transportation, even if there are sometimes quite a few drawbacks.

The following stood out during the endurance test:

• Leaking window rubber, make sure this rubber fits well, otherwise there is a chance that the water will run right in
• The folding mechanism loses its strength over time, so an up-hinged window often comes down while driving. Still searching for a solution. During cold weather that effect is more, as the plastic is then more rigid. In summer, everything is “smoother” and then the window often “falls down” while driving.
• The adhesive of the plastic panels may loosen over time. This creates some gaps. Proper maintenance is important.
• JBL’s boombox speaker in Opel Rocks design fits nicely in the storage compartment behind the display in terms of shape, but is anything but sturdy there. Better to just place it in the door compartment behind the net. There it is much more stable.
• Storing the charging cable remains a thingy. You have to carefully tuck it back into its hole, bent on the passenger side. Take your time here, because if you store it properly, you can also easily saw it out again.
• Driving performance may be limited in winter due to low outside temperatures.

Charging the Opel Rocks Electric

Charging the Opel Rocks Electric was always done at home during this endurance test. Thanks to solar panels, we were able to charge the Opel when the sun was shining. Then it is basically free power and charging the 5.5 kWh battery costs almost nothing. The range of 75 kilometers turns out to be quite correct in practice. A return trip to parents and parents-in-law is – in our case – 10 kilometers and we can easily go up and down six times before we have to recharge. So in practice, take into account about 60 kilometers driving range. In any case, we never had any fear of range. The on-board computer is quite accurate. Because even with only 5 kilometers driving range, there is still no reason to panic, even though the Rocks does limit performance.

Conclusion

Conclusion? We drove this Opel Rocks Electric in spring, summer, fall and also in winter. And that has been excellent. Of course, you make some concessions in terms of comfort and travel time. But it does get you where you need to go. Above all, the value for money is excellent. You just get a lot of “car” for your money. Would you consider a microcar?

Look back at everything again

• Opel Rocks Electric versus Microlino LITE – with VIDEO
• Opel Rocks Xtreme monster truck – with VIDEO
• Opel Rocks: what about maintenance? – with VIDEO
• Opel Rocks: this is allowed and this is not allowed