Opel Combo Electric: A PR Pitch With Dogs in the Back
With the Combo Electric, Opel leans on wagging tails and soft-focus family imagery, but beneath the dog-friendly campaign sits the same dependable formula: a roomy, economical van built for everyday life.
Opel’s latest press release ties the image of its electric Combo to International Dog Day and family-oriented leisure time. In reality, it’s the familiar compact electric van—its everyday appeal marketed through the lens of pets and playfulness.
The Combo Electric, Opel stresses, can carry up to seven passengers along with several furry companions. On paper, the specs are modest but serviceable: up to 344 kilometres of WLTP range and 50 kWh battery fast-charging to 80 percent in half an hour. Adequate for urban and regional use, though hardly groundbreaking.
For its canine-themed debut, Opel staged photos with five Shetland sheepdogs frolicking on the rear seats, softening the image of what is still essentially a practical box on wheels. In XL form, the Combo can swallow up to 4,000 litres of cargo space—recast here as a playground for dogs. Features such as a panoramic roof, 27 storage compartments, Intelli-Lux matrix LEDs and 18 driver-assistance systems give it a suitably modern equipment list.
In truth, practicality has always been the Combo’s core strength. The lineage dates back nearly four decades to the Kadett Combo of 1985, and the new EV carries forward that tradition of cubic utility. Opel’s electric all-in package—home charger, route planning, warranty—will likely matter far more to buyers than the Dog Day narrative, even if the latter makes for friendlier PR copy.
