Vauxhall Mokka-e Ultimate (2022) Owner Review: Why This Used 50kWh Small SUV Makes Electric Motoring Easy

This 2022 Vauxhall Mokka Electric is my very first electric car. When I was looking to make the switch from petrol, I wanted a smart-looking small SUV at a great price on the used market.

Because my car is the range-topping Ultimate specification (finished in black with 18-inch bi-colour alloys and Alcantara/leather-effect interior trim), it comes with an impressive amount of factory equipment as standard—without needing to hunt down optional upgrade packs. Having features like a heated steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, and assistive parking included out of the box sealed the deal for me.

Positives: Styling, Cabin Layout & Proper Buttons

One of the things I love most about the Mokka is its stance on the road—it blends the footprint of a compact SUV with a sporty, hot-hatch-style silhouette.

Inside the cabin, Vauxhall has got the ergonomics and everyday usability spot-on:

• Lag-Free Software: The onboard infotainment software is great, and I haven’t experienced any lag at all when navigating menus.

   

• Driver-Focused Dual Screens: The wrap-around Pure Panel layout (pairing a 12-inch driver’s display with a 10-inch central touchscreen) makes it effortless to see all the key driving information you need for a safe journey at a glance.

   

• Physical Climate Controls: Unlike so many modern cars that bury everything inside touchscreen sub-menus, it is genuinely refreshing to have proper physical buttons and rotary dials for the heating and cooling system.

   

Favourite Tech & Best-Kept Secret

When it comes to daily driving technology, the crisp digital screens and the clarity of the information they provide have proven to be the most useful feature in the car, closely followed by the Adaptive Cruise Control, which takes the strain out of longer runs.

As for the car’s best-kept secret? It has to be the Advanced Parking Assistance. If I’m completely honest, I didn’t think self-parking tech would actually work in the real world—but I have been pleasantly surprised by just how accurately and smoothly it slots the car into a bay.

Real-World Range, Battery Health & Reliability

Although the 50 kWh battery had already covered between 30,000 and 40,000 miles when I bought the car second-hand, battery performance and reliability have been rock-solid:

• Average Range (80% Charge): Around 163 miles.

   

• Room for Improvement: While that 163-mile range from an 80% top-up is completely fine for my 5,000 to 10,000 annual miles, a slightly larger overall range and better motorway kWh efficiency would make the package even more ideal.

   

• Zero Degradation So Far: Since buying the car used, the available range and charging speeds—both at home and on rapid chargers—have remained exactly the same as the day I picked it up.

   

• Faultless Reliability: I haven’t had a single mechanical or electrical issue with the car during my ownership.

   

Home Charging Without a Wallbox & Running Costs

You don’t necessarily need to spend £1,000 on a dedicated home wallbox or switch to a complex time-of-use tariff to make an EV work financially:

• Charging Setup: I charge at home using a standard domestic plug rather than a dedicated wallbox unit, and I don’t need to rely on the public charging network.

   

• Electricity Tariff: I’m with EDF on their standard tariff. For our household usage and my annual mileage, staying on the standard rate actually works out cheaper overall than switching to a specialist EV tariff with higher daytime rates.

   

• Insurance: I insure the car personally with AXA (the 50kWh Mokka Ultimate sits in UK Insurance Group 23E).

   

• Is It Saving Me Money? Definitely. Compared to my previous internal combustion car—especially given petrol prices—my fuel bills are much lower, and routine maintenance and servicing costs have been greatly reduced too.

   

Final Verdict: What’s Next on My EV Radar?

The Vauxhall Mokka-e Ultimate has proven that buying a high-spec used electric SUV is a brilliant, cost-effective way into EV ownership.

When the time eventually comes to trade in my keys, the Volvo EX30 is right at the top of my list—I really like the small SUV format, and I’m keen to stick with compact electric crossovers that feel solid, well-built, and reliable.

 
Review by Paul