Vauxhall Corsa Electric review
The evergreen Vauxhall Corsa is available with an electric powertrain, but you’ll pay a big premium over the equivalent petrol version
Pros
- Practical five-door body
- Good real-world range
- Drives quite well
Cons
- No cable storage
- Interior quality
- £29,000 starting price
| Car type | Range | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | 222 miles | 7hrs 45mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 28mins (10-80%, 100kW) |
Vauxhall Corsa Electric verdict
The Vauxhall Corsa Electric is a great small electric car. In fact, once you’ve got over the high purchase price (or nailed down a good finance deal), it’s hard to argue with the 200-mile real-world range and rock-bottom running costs. But ultimately, there are cheaper, more capable models on the market, while larger, plusher rivals aren’t that much more expensive, either. A facelifted version is due soon too, so it might be worth holding off for the new look and bigger battery.
Range details, specs and alternatives
Vauxhall has big plans when it comes to electric cars, with three new EVs just around the corner, before the brand ditches the combustion engine altogether by 2028. But it all started with this, the Vauxhall Corsa Electric: the zero-emissions version of one of Britain's best-selling cars and rival to the likes of the Renault ZOE, MINI Electric and Honda e.
Previously called the Vauxhall Corsa-e, the Corsa Electric’s biggest rival is, in fact, the Peugeot e-208, with which it shares its platform and a myriad of parts. Also mechanically similar is the larger, but not much more expensive, Vauxhall Mokka Electric; all three cars have recently received updates adding a larger 54kWh battery for a range of circa 250 miles, as well as a more powerful 154bhp electric motor.
Neither Peugeot nor Vauxhall have put the updated cars on sale yet, though, so for now, Corsa Electric buyers must make do with a 50kWh battery alongside a 134bhp electric motor; 0-62mph takes roughly eight seconds, with Vauxhall saying its electric supermini will do 222 miles on a charge. No matter whether you go for the pre or post-facelift Corsa, all Electric models get standard 100kW rapid charging, enabling a 10-80% top-up in around half an hour.
Of course, being electric, the Corsa Electric isn't as affordable as its petrol-powered counterpart, with the entry-level model now starting at almost £34,000 and the price tag rising to over £36,000 for the top-spec version – we expect the facelifted car to be even more expensive. In comparison, the larger, more practical MG4 EV starts from under £27,000, while the similarly-sized BYD Dolphin will set you back just £25,490.
The lineup currently consists of two trims: GS and Ultimate. As you’d hope for the high list price, even basic cars come well equipped, with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, climate control and a seven-inch touchscreen with sat-nav, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Ultimate cars get all the bells and whistles, with a larger 10-inch screen, matrix-LED lights, Alcantara-trimmed massage seats, adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring. At the time of writing (July 2023), if you’re able to stump up a 30% deposit, Vauxhall will offer you a Corsa Electric on 0% PCP finance. This is available for all Vauxhall EVs – including the new Vauxhall Astra Electric – and is not something to be sniffed at, especially at a time when good deals are rather hard to come by.
Click here to see why you can trust DrivingElectric reviews, or for a more detailed look at the Vauxhall Corsa Electric, read on for the rest of our in-depth review…
