Vauxhall Mokka Electric Review 2025

The Mokka Electric has experienced mixed fortunes since its release in 2021. On the one hand, it's been made cheaper and more capable, but on the other, many of its rivals have improved too, and it now has to contend with a cheaper but more practical in-house alternative. We'll explain all in our Vauxhall Mokka review. 

These days, Vauxhall is owned by something called 'Stellantis', a massive group of companies that share all sorts of components and a particular strategy when it comes to electric cars. Instead of making bespoke electric models like Volkswagen and Kia, Vauxhall and its cohorts sell both electric and petrol-powered versions of the same thing. 

That's very much true of the Vauxhall Mokka, the petrol/hybrid version of which we've covered separately. It's an understandable approach when there's still substantial demand for cars powered the old-fashioned way, but it does mean you don't enjoy the practicality benefits of a bespoke EV, which usually means more cabin space. 

With the Mokka Electric, there seems to be a reverse Tardis effect going on. It looks pretty sizeable from the outside, but it doesn't feel massive inside, and the boot isn't very big either. To make matters worse for the car, early versions had a less-than-impressive electric range of 209 miles (which, much of the time, would equate to a 'real-world' range of more like 150), and it wasn't cheap initially.

Vauxhall has reduced the prices over the years, though, and made various improvements from 2024 onwards. These included a lightly tweaked exterior and the introduction of a 54kWh battery, giving more like 250 miles of range. 

The problem is that a lot of the Mokka Electric's rivals have been getting better and cheaper in the meantime, and it has some fresh contenders that have emerged since its launch, including the excellent Kia EV3, the Volvo EX30 and the Smart #1. It also doesn't help the Mokka Electric's cause that within the same showroom you'll now find the cheaper and more practical Frontera Electric. The Mokka is a little more premium and more refined, though. 

There are also several alternatives from the Stellantis 'multiverse' that share the same platform and setup as the Mokka Electric, threatening to turn further potential punters away. These are the Citroen e-C4, Peugeot e-2008 and Fiat 600e. 

Performance from the standard Mokka Electric isn't anything too spicy, with post-update models coming with 156PS. Should you want to go quicker than that, it's then a massive jump to the Mokka Electric GSE with its 280PS, but not a big increase in price – it actually costs less than the regular Mokka Electric in Ultimate trim. 

Mokka Electric range and charging 

Originally, the Mokka Electric came with a 50kWh battery that gave a modest 209 miles of range on a full charge. For the 2024 update, the car became exclusively available with a 54kWh battery that increased this to 250 miles. This makes a 'real-world' range of just over 200 miles perfectly possible. 

Opt for the GSE, and that number drops back to 201 miles, or 209 miles with an optional wheel and tyre package. Exploit its 280PS output enough, and you'll struggle to get over 100 miles of range. You have been warned. 

The DC rapid charge rate of 100kW is nothing particularly special. The 0-80% rapid charge time sounds impressive at 30 minutes, but remember, this isn't a particularly big battery, so that 80% charge isn't going to get you terribly far. 

Charging the battery from empty with a 7.4kW home wallbox should take about seven and a half hours. You'll need to at least triple that time if you're using a three-pin plug, something manufacturers generally don't recommend you do unless you absolutely have to.

Weighing just 1598kg, which is something of a flyweight in the all-electric world, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric can afford to be quite softly sprung compared to heavier rivals.

That’s a good thing when it comes to the long-haul motorway munching for which, unfortunately, it lacks the battery power reserves. Its straight-line ride is comfortable enough, and only troubled by the worst excesses of ham-fisted expansion joint construction.

It doesn’t deal with potholes and poor surfaces as well as the Volkswagen ID.3 at lower speeds, but it remains more comfortable than firmer rivals such as Hyundai’s Kona Electric, and doesn’t try and buck you out of the saddle on undulating surfaces like the over-excited DS 3 E-Tense.

The incorporation of regenerative braking means it takes a while to get used to a gently inconsistent brake pedal, which often leaves you guessing as to the amount of pedal pressure needed to slow down smoothly.

Overall, however, the Vauxhall Mokka Electric’s ride quality is pretty refined by class standards, with low levels of road and wind noise.

Handling, on the other hand, is only okay up to a point – the point at which you try and press on with any sort of enthusiasm. Everything falls tidily enough into place at cruising speeds: the steering feels nicely weighted and accurate enough, and there’s plenty of grip.

Start cornering more quickly, though, and the steering starts to lose precision, and that soft suspension adds to a general lack of composure with plenty of roll. You’ll quickly back off to conserve the limited battery power available and ensure you don’t upset the occupants of the back seats.

The GSE is a completely different kettle of fish. It has a much firmer setup, which does give a certain abruptness to the ride at low speeds, offset by a much more stable body in the corners. It also puts its power to the road via a mechanical limited-slip differential, making for excellent traction.

Originally, there was just one powertrain: a 50kWh battery mated to a 136PS electric motor, which drives the front wheels. This provides acceptable shove off the line, a 0-62mph time of 9.2 seconds and a maximum speed of 93mph.

From 2024, the Mokka gained a 54kWh battery pack with a punchier 156PS motor, although torque was unchanged at 260Nm. Because the latter is delivered pretty much instantly, it's quite pokey off the line, but it still isn't a particularly quick car, with 0-62mph happening in 8.9 seconds. The top speed is still 93mph, meanwhile.

Power is also limited by the modes on both earlier and current versions of the Mokka – you'll need to opt for Sport mode to get the full outputs of each. 

Going for the GSE gives a massive uplift in performance. Its motor is good for 280PS and 345Nm of torque (again, only if you're in Sport mode), making for a 0-62mph time of just 5.9 seconds, and a top speed of 124mph. It feels punchy initially, but as we so often find with performance EVs, a linear power delivery means the sensation of acceleration wanes from about 40mph and up. 

When tested by Euro NCAP in 2021, the previous Vauxhall Mokka only scored four stars out of five. Breaking it down into the individual categories, the Mokka scored 73% for adult occupants, 75% for child occupants, just 58% for vulnerable road users and 64% for its safety assistance systems.

All models feature six airbags, forward collision alert (low speed), automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, a driver drowsiness alert, rear parking sensors and a panoramic rear-view camera. 

Top-of-the-range Ultimate models add LED matrix headlights with advanced forward lighting, front parking sensors, forward collision alert (all speeds), lane positioning assistance and side blind spot alert with flank guard.

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric’s maximum unbraked towing capacity is 620kg. So that’s a trailer to the tip rather than a caravan to Cleethorpes…

For those sitting in the front, the news is generally good. Although the Vauxhall Mokka Electric isn’t as tall as most small SUVs, the seats have been raised sufficiently to give a pretty good view out.

Over-the-shoulder visibility is less impressive, hampered by the window-squeezing pillars and roofline, but at least rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are standard across the model range.

Despite the lack of adjustable lumbar support, except on range-topping models, the driving position is fine and the cockpit ergonomics give no cause for complaint: a diagonal step between the driver’s instrument display and the central infotainment screen brings the latter well within reach.

Climate control and media volume are operated by physical buttons and knobs, which is a definite plus.

The trouble anyone six feet and over will have just getting through the rear doors – the door head height is absurdly low – gives you a clue as to what you’re in for once settled.

Ironically, after the struggle getting in, there’s plenty of headroom, but precious little legroom. Knees are pressed up against the front seatbacks, and it’s a shame Vauxhall didn’t make the rear bench a slider. 

Then again, with just 310 litres of luggage capacity, the designers probably didn’t dare. The 60:40 split folding rear seats collapse easily to create a more respectable total volume of 1060 litres.

Despite there being no engine under the bonnet, there is no frunk into which you might lob the odd charging cable, but a height-adjustable load space floor does allow you to create two compartments and hide the cables away in the lower deck.

The best thing about the flashes of GS grade red trim that spark lurid life into diverse corners of the cabin is that they distract you from an interior quality that isn’t all that pleasing. 

There’s nothing inherently wrong with it. It’s just that, like the presentation of the instrument and infotainment screens, it clearly reflects Vauxhall’s commitment of late to dragging the brand’s exterior design into the correct decade with a resultant neglect of interior issues.

We’d hoped that electrification might usher in the next level of styling creativity in the cabin. However, even there though are some elements of flair, it’s nothing to get excited about yet.

Entry-level Design grade versions of the Vauxhall Mokka Electric were awarded a seven-inch digital instrument panel and a seven-inch colour infotainment touchscreen with six-speaker DAB radio, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Previously, you had to opt for a GS or Ultimate-trimmed Mokka to get a 10-inch infotainment screen and a larger digital instrument cluster. Now, though, it's standard across the board, with the Design-replacing Griffin grade enjoying this setup too. 

It works OK, but it's far from the best system out there. The screen itself is responsive, but the processing going on behind the scenes often struggles to keep up. The navigation (on Ultimate and GSE models only) is adequate at best, but thankfully, you can easily replace it with your preferred mapping app thanks to the presence of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Prices for the Mokka Electric have dropped over time, helped further by the introduction of the government's electric car grant, for which all versions are eligible. You will only get the lower £1500 discount, but it's not like the list of cars that qualify for the bigger one is particularly big. 

The pre-discount prices come in at £31,680 for the Griffin, £34,280 for the GS and Ultimate and £37,280 for the Ultimate. You might expect the GSE to be the most expensive of the lot, but it's actually not, costing £36,170.

The starting price for a Kia EV3 is about £33,000, but at the time of writing, Kia was offering its own 'grant' matching the higher discount of the government scheme at £3750. The Frontera we mentioned earlier undercuts the Mokka significantly, starting at about £24,000.

Because the Mokka has been around a little while now, and because EVs tend to suffer from steep depreciation, you can pick up an early example from as little as £10,000.

The EV exemption for car tax is a thing of the past, so it's the same £195 to pay annually from year two. EVs are also now liable for the government's premium car tax supplement, but thanks to the Mokka Electric's price reductions, no version of the car is over the £40,000 threshold, even with options added. 

With reasonable electric efficiency from the Mokka (including the GSE, if you can control your right foot adequately), you can more than offset that £195 a year outlay. It's about £14 to fully charge the Mokka Electric based on the average per kWh cost of electricity, but you can slash this figure by getting onto a variable tariff and timing your charging sessions to coincide with off-peak periods. 

Vauxhall fared badly in the most recent HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index, finishing in 31st place for reliability out of 33 car makers listed. The warranty isn't spectacular, lasting 60,000 miles and three years, with the high-voltage battery covered by the mandated eight years or 100,000 miles of coverage. 

The initial trim levels for the Vauxhall Mokka Electric were Design, GS and Ultimate. Design has subsequently been switched to the more generously equipped Griffin, and there's also GSE, although that's more of a separate model in its own right than a trim.

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric Design comes with the following equipment fitted as standard:

• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Rear parking sensors
• LED lights with high beam assist
• 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• 10-inch digital instrument cluster
• Heated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors
• Tinted rear windows

The Vauxhall Mokka Electric GS trim level builds on the Griffin specification with:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Rear parking camera
• Additional USB sockets 
• Interior ambient lighting
• Part fabric/part vegan 'leather' seats

The range-topping Vauxhall Mokka Electric Ultimate adds:

• Matrix LED headlights
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front parking sensors
• Electrically folding door mirrors
• Keyless entry and start
• Electrically adjustable driver's seat with massage function
• Wireless phone charger
• Satellite navigation 

The performance-oriented Vauxhall Mokka GSE includes all of that plus:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Front sports seats 
• Alcantara trim
• GSE-specific styling