Remember Opel? German company has an EV and it's surprised it is sold out

Once upon a time, owning an Open car here in India was a status symbol of sorts. Launched under the General Motors brand in 1996, products like Opel Astra, Corsa, Vectra and a few others fared reasonably well for a short period of time. But although the company eventually packed up and left India, it has remained busy - even if on the fringes - in several European markets and now has an electric vehicle on offer that is sold out.

The upcoming Opel Mokka-e will be launched in select European markets come March of 2021 but the first batch of the EV has reportedly already flown off the proverbial shelves. If you are surprised, you aren't alone. Even Opel is reportedly amazed at the strong response.

According to reports, the Edition model of the Mokka-e are sold out while the base version too were eventually all booked. A compact SUV, the EV's rousing success may be a result of subsidies being offered by several European countries in order to make battery-operated vehicles both popular as well as affordable.

The Mokka-e has a claimed range of 201 miles (approximately 323 kms) and makes use of a 50 kWh lithium-ion battery. This can be charged to 80% in 30 minutes using a 100kW box and while it is emission free - obviously at that, it does offer three drive modes - Normal, Eco and Sport.

The battle for a delicious chunk of the EV pie in Europe is hotting up with even players relegated to the sideline now making a comeback to take on the mighty players like Tesla, Volkswagen and Renault. As more and more countries dish out target dates to phase out sale of conventional vehicles, it is also a battle for survival for many auto makers. Opel, in this regard, may have found a solid lifeboat in the form of Mokka-e.

Check out Upcoming Cars in India 2024, Best SUVs in India.