The Stecher family from Hesse is on the road for research purposes. For AUTO BILD. Author Andreas May accompanied dad Henning, mum Maria and three-year-old Anni on a trip to the snowy Allgäu region. The question to be answered: is an electric car – an Opel Mokka-e – also suitable to take a family holiday in the snow?

The trip starts at the Adam Opel Haus in Rüsselsheim. Luggage for three people and Anni’s sled go into the boot: “310 to 1,060 litres of volume are still acceptable for such a mini-SUV that is 4.15 metres long,“ writes author Andreas May in his AUTO BILD test report.

Electrifying travel companion

The Opel Mokka-e is equipped with a 50 kWh battery and 136 hp. The range of the model the Stecher family is driving on their journey is 324 kilometres according to WLTP. Since the end of 2021, even 338 kilometres are possible thanks to some optimisations.^[1]  The destination Oberjoch in the Allgäu is what Anni wanted because she wants to “Go sledding!” It’s 430 kilometres to get there – so charging stops are necessary. And the conditions are not the best: it’s cold and the route is mainly on the motorway. That diminishes range.

They set off with a full battery. At the first charging stop, one charging station doesn’t work, but the one next to it does. The charging stop lasts 40 minutes. Meanwhile, Anni sits in the back in her child seat, watches “Bibi & Tina” on her dad’s notebook and nibbles on the carrots prepared by mum Maria.

The charging stations: Playing it safe

The 20-minute charging stop number two, barely 100 kilometres after the first stop, is actually much too early. But this is the family’s first trip with an electric car, and they want to play it safe. After five-and-a-half-hours of driving, the electric car from Rüsselsheim parks at an EnBW charging station at the Illertal West service area for charging stop number 3. The kilowatt hours just whizz into the battery, peaking at 95 kW. “It should be like this everywhere, there should be enough fast chargers at every motorway service station and rest area,” says Henning Stecher.

And what is it like to be on the road with an electric vehicle? Especially in the mountains, the Mokka-e can show its strengths. The batteries installed in the underbody ensure a low centre of gravity, so the e-car corners as if on rails. It always has maximum torque of 260 Newton metres at its disposal – guaranteeing driving fun on serpentine roads. And the electric motor becomes a generator and converts the kinetic energy of descent into electricity.

After seven hours, two of which were spent charging, the Stecher family is in the snow. The Mokka-e is plugged in overnight at the hotel’s charging station and is completely charged again the next morning. “In total, it charged 114 kilowatt hours of electricity for the journey, which results in consumption of 26.5 kWh per 100 kilometres,” Andreas May notes. The detailed charging report is in the AUTO BILD test report.

Goal reached: Hit the slopes

And Anni? She is overjoyed. Snow at last! Time and again she sleds down the mountain with her father. And which ride does Henning Stecher prefer? Andreas May asks, of course. The vocational schoolteacher – he commutes 60 kilometres to work every day – has been thinking about getting an electric car for some time. Also to save money, as his electricity provider has a special tariff for electric cars, which makes charging much cheaper.

The wallbox with a €900 state subsidy is already hanging in the garage. Will an electric car be charged on it soon? Maria and Henning Stecher agree: “Yes, but we will only lease the new car.” Since the technology is developing fast, they hope that the trip to the Allgäu will soon be possible with only one charging stop. Until then, the Stechers will drive the petrol car on holiday. And father Henning will soon have an Opel Mokka-e for his commute.