The Opel Rocks-e concept is quite unlike most other cars on sale, except for the Citroen Ami.
Both cars or, rather, quadricycles, are tiny, inexpensive, and can be driven by 15-year-olds in Germany. It’s a bold new vision for urban youth mobility but, the question remains, will anyone buy it?
On this week’s Mobility Moments, we spoke to Marc Fetzer, the Head of Future Products at Opel, to find out more.
Why was it important for Opel to launch the Rocks-e?
“We are quickly expanding our line-up of electrified vehicles and will have 9 different models already available to customers by the end of this year. The Rocks-e comes in addition to this, providing an exciting, emissions-free mobility solution for youngsters from 15 years of age in Germany. For many customers, the Rocks-e will be their first Opel vehicle and their first step into the world of e-mobility.”
How do cars such as the Rocks-e feature in Opel’s mobility strategy? Can we expect to see similar efforts?
“We call the Rocks-e a SUM – short for Sustainable Urban Mobility. It offers the opportunity of “protected” personal mobility at a price comparable to public transportation or car sharing use. Of course, we are constantly studying new mobility concepts in various executions but I can’t reveal more at this point in time.”
How large is the market for cars like the Rocks-e?
“Since the Rocks-e can already be driven by young people from 15 years of age in Germany and represents the mobility bridge between e-bikes, mopeds and city cars, there is potentially a large customer base out there. It will also appeal to adults who live in congested cities and want a mobility solution that’s well protected from wind and rain.”
The press release for the Rocks-e claimed that it is cheaper to lease the vehicle than to use public transport – does Opel anticipate a future without mass public transit?
We think that mass public transit will continue to play a key role in many situations – for some customers, the Rocks-e might be a substitute for public transport, and for others, it could play a complementary role. What’s most important is that we can offer customers a good choice to fit their multi-modal mobility needs.
What is Opel’s vision of future mobility?
“We are transforming into a fully electrified brand – already this year we will launch our first production fuel-cell vehicle – the Vivaro-e HYDROGEN – and by 2028 we will sell only fully electric vehicles in Europe.”
The Rocks-e is very similar to the Citroen AMI, can we expect to see more Stellantis group collaborations in the future?
“The Opel Rocks-e and Citroën AMI use the same technology toolbox from Stellantis; however the Rocks-e carries typical design cues known from other Opel models such as the two-tone wheel-arches and side rockers on all trims, and most prominently, the Opel Vizor element. The Rocks-e also has unique trim, equipment and accessory options. In addition, the Rocks-e leverages Opel’s strengths as the only German brand within Stellantis, with its correspondingly established dealer and service network across Europe. We cannot comment further on our future product plans at this point in time.”
Keyword: Opel Rocks-e: Bridging e-Bikes, Scooters, and Cars – Mobility Moments With Marc Fetzer