Waiting for your electric vehicle to charge can be a stupor-inducing experience – but Vauxhall thinks a caffeine-boost could be a welcome distraction.
The British car company has debuted a new electric car called Mokka Coffe-e that has a compact coffee station nestled into its 310-litre boot.
From the front seat, owners can open up the barista-quality kit at the touch of a button before getting out the car to serve up a latté.
Vauxhall says the portable brew kit provides a ‘barista-standard’ coffee when drivers are miles away from their favourite coffee shop.
It gives both drivers and their car a chance to reenergize – filling time when the vehicle is getting a burst of power from a charging point.
Vauxhall’s 310-litre Mokka boot has been transformed into a café with a pull-out drawer housing barista quality tools
The new electric concept car from the British company gives both drivers and their vehicle a chance to recharge
‘Vauxhall Mokka Coffe-e is a one-off concept car designed to provide electric vehicle drivers with the perfect coffee break,’ the firm says on its website.
‘Recharge yourself with award-winning barista coffee, and recharge your Mokka Electric on the go.’
Just like you’d press a switch to open the boot in a normal car, the car’s coffee station is accessed at the touch of a button in the centre console.
The Coffe-e concept has not one but two coffee machines – one for freshly-ground beans one for pods.
There’s also a coffee grinder, a knock box for used espresso grounds, a milk steamer and a fridge to store milk.
Just like you’d press a switch to open the boot in a normal car, the car’s coffee station is accessed at the touch of a button in the centre console
Vauxhall refers to this as a concept car, meaning it isn’t set to go on sale but showcases a new idea that could come to vehicles in the near future
‘Barista-quality tools’ are kept in a slick pull-out drawer featuring the Vauxhall branding, including portafilter handles and the pods themselves.
But from the outside, a coffee-mug symbol is the only giveaway to other drivers that there’s something special about this vehicle.
Vauxhall has also partnered with Cafeology, a Sheffield-based artisanal coffee roasting firm, to craft a range of coffee blends ‘to satisfy all coffee tastes’.
They include ‘cosmic red’ with hints of stone fruit acidity, ‘contrast grey’ with a herbal, earthy body and ‘voltaic blue’ with a sweet and vibrant fruity flavour.
Vauxhall refers to this as a concept car, meaning it isn’t set to go on sale but showcases a new idea that could come to vehicles in the near future.
Drivers and passengers can decide their preferred coffee type from a menu before stopping at a charging station and making their brew
Regardless, electric car makers are increasingly adding gizmos to keep owners entertained during the charging process.
Charging an electric car can take several hours depending on the size of its battery, making it generally a slower refueling option than traditional petrol.
By 2030, the UK government is planning to end sales of diesel and petrol cars in favour of EVs, which run on energy from a charged battery much like a smartphone.
The Mokka Electric is just one of many electric Vauxhalls, with the new Grandland EV specs just confirmed and a new Frontera arriving on UK roads later this year.