New Opel Rocks-e is Citroen Ami-based urban EV for Germany

Opel hails the new arrival as the "beginning of the SUM [sustainable urban mobility] era" and highlights the fact that it can be driven in Germany from the age of 15, licence dependent.

It sits below the Corsa-e supermini in Opel's expanding electric line-up and is technically identical to the Ami on which it is based. A 5.5kWh battery provides 43 miles of range and can be charged in 3.5 hours, while an 8bhp motor sends the quadricycle to a top speed of 28mph. 

The 2.41m-long, 471kg EV is almost visually unaltered, too, save for the addition of a new 'Vizor'-style front end panel, which brings the Rocks-e into line with Opel-Vauxhall's more mainstream cars.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but Opel has promised the outright cost will be "less than for a small car" while the monthly leasing cost will be similar to the average spend on public transport. 

In its home market of France, the Ami is priced from €6000 after taxes or can be leased for €19.99 per month, so expect a similar treatment in Germany for the Rocks-e. Unlike its Opel sibling, however, the Ami is now all but confirmed for an imminent UK launch, with pricing set to be revealed soon.

Vauxhall has told Autocar that it has no plans for its own version of the Ami/Rocks-e, but Opel has confirmed its model will head for other markets in 2022, following a German market launch this autumn.