Vauxhall Corsa Electric review: range, battery & charging
The ability to charge at up to 100kW from public rapid points is standard across the Corsa Electric range, and home charging times are reasonable, too
| Range | Wallbox charge time | Rapid charge time |
|---|---|---|
| 222 miles | 7hrs 45mins (0-100%, 7.4kW) | 28mins (10-80%, 100kW) |
The Vauxhall Corsa Electric shares a number of its parts, as well as its basic platform, with the Peugeot e-208 and DS 3 E-Tense. However, with the facelifted model due to go on sale imminently, the Corsa’s powertrain doesn’t yet feature the most up-to-date tech.
Some Peugeot models – as well as every DS – now feature a larger 54kWh battery for a longer overall range. However, with the older 50kWh battery, the Vauxhall won’t go quite as far on a charge. A 222-mile maximum is not to be sniffed at, though; the Corsa almost doubles the range of a Honda e, for example, and very nearly matches the similarly-priced Renault ZOE.
Vauxhall Connect – a feature of the MyVauxhall smartphone app – allows you to access information such as the remaining range, as well offering the option to pre-condition the interior to a set temperature. Smartphone users can also see the charging status of their car, remotely start the air-conditioning and select the charging time required.
Vauxhall Corsa Electric range
As mentioned, there’s only one 50kWh battery available for the Corsa Electric. Initially, the zero-emissions hatchback had an official range of up to 209 miles for the car, but following some technical updates in December 2021, the figure for cars built since then is 222 miles.
When we drove a 2022 model year Corsa Electric in warm weather, the Vauxhall’s range predictions were relatively good, so we have no doubt you'll be able to cover more than 200 miles on a full charge if you're gentle with the throttle and in similar conditions. But expect the range to drop once winter arrives.
Things should improve dramatically when the facelifted Vauxhall Corsa Electric goes on sale; this gets a larger 54kWh battery which boosts the claimed WLTP range to a maximum of 255 miles – 33 miles more than the old car. This should mean more than 200 miles without breaking a sweat, with a standard-fit heat pump helping get closer to the target figure in colder months.
Charge time
Every version of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric comes with a Type 2 cable for home wallbox and slower public charging, but you have to pay extra for a conventional three-pin plug, which seems a bit stingy given the car’s high list price.
The Corsa is available with either a 7.4 or 11kW on-board charger, which affects how quickly it can charge from a domestic charging point. However, you need three-phase domestic electricity to take advantage of the 11kW upgrade, and this isn't very common in UK homes, so check before stumping up the cash.
If you do, Vauxhall quotes a 15-80% charge time of three hours and 20 minutes, compared to five hours for the 7.4kW setup. Regardless, all Corsa Electric models come with a CCS port, ensuring an 80% top-up in as little as 30 minutes from a 100kW rapid charger. These are getting more common in the UK, but many public points are still 50kW – taking near-enough twice as long to perform the same task.
