I test drove the Opel Frontera Electric 44 kWh Battery Powered Short Range SUV over long distances in all kinds of road and weather conditions. Since I tested the Opel Frontera Hybrid version before, I already know every aspect of this SUV.
We took a risk and tested the Opel Frontera Electric 44 kWh Battery GS short-range model on a long intercity road. Of course, in this test drive of the Opel Frontera electric model, I will only focus on its electric driving capabilities and short range. This really pushed our limits 🙂 We crossed the Osmangazi Bridge and spent a lot of time at the oxygen stations.
We lost some sleep because normally I could reach Edremit-Gure center from Istanbul in about 3 to 3.5 hours with a diesel or gasoline vehicle, depending on the breaks, the vehicle I used and the road conditions. But that was exactly our goal. What could we take risks and do with the short-range Opel Frontera Electric model? What kind of journey could it be?
First of all, we have a record showing that the Opel Frontera electric model has a WLTP range of 301 km with a fully charged battery. But things didn’t turn out that way at all. We tested the vehicle at the E-Charge high-speed charging points provided to us and at another charging point of a different brand, Borusan Energy. Waiting 1 hour and 25 minutes for the vehicle to reach 100% charge level and for the battery to be fully charged is not easy, especially in cold, rainy and windy weather at night. How much fun can you have with this?
We tested the battery of the Opel Frontera electric model on the Istanbul-Izmir highway, with the battery almost completely discharged. We also tested the battery at high-speed charging stations at different locations. According to factory data, while the vehicle was expected to charge at 100 kW, it sometimes charged at 25 kW, sometimes at 35-40 kW, and eventually reached only 70 kW at a different charging point. In the technical specifications of the Opel Frontera electric model, it is stated that the maximum DC capacity is 100 kW, and according to the software information, this is the charging speed we can achieve. However, we suspected something was wrong with the electric charging stations. We tried Borusan Energy by paying an extra fee, but the result was the same. Charging speed sometimes shows 35-40kW, sometimes 60kW, sometimes 22kW. In short, on the way back we tested the E-charger at the new 360 kW oxygen stations. Only at one point did it show a 70 kW charging speed. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain consistent results in our tests at dozens of charging stations.
On the other hand, the displayed maximum range of the vehicle when the battery is fully charged is 266 km. Even if the air conditioning and music system are turned off, this range suddenly drops to 200 km-185 km. We encountered many similar contradictory situations that challenged us on the highway in the middle of the night. We tried to reach the charging points at a speed of 50-60-70-80, maximum 90 km/h. Every time…
However, in some cases and in certain charging cycles, when the battery is 100% charged, we completely turn off the air conditioning system, disable all power-consuming devices such as music and navigation, and drive at a constant speed of 90 km per hour, we observed that the vehicle is rew-charged (Brake energy) more frequently and thus its range is extended.
As a result, our journey from Istanbul to Edremit, which should normally take 3-3.5 hours, took 10 hours with breaks and 7-8 hours on the way back.
Regardless, we liked the car. It is very comfortable and has good handling. Short range is not and should not be an advantage for this car. Why are they selling such a short range car? We couldn’t understand its purpose. This range is too short for this vehicle.
Because it does not work according to factory specifications. I spent a lot of energy trying to extend the range. I made a lot of sacrifices. I made a lot of effort. I drove in the cold at midnight. It was also cold inside the car. And there was no music. There was no navigation. I turned off everything, including the automatic high beams.
** On the way back, I immediately received a traffic fine of 2,800 TL for driving at a speed of 120 km per hour. Is this fair?
Article: Özgür Sunay
Automobile Magazine – English
