Category Archives: Corsa-e

Electric Vehicles Dominate the Used Car Market, Selling Faster Than Petrol and Diesel

November 16, 2023Audi, Corsa-e, e-tron, Electric Cars, Kia, News, Reviews and Comment, Renault, Vauxhall, ZOERepost

Electric vehicles (EVs) have emerged as the fastest-selling fuel type in the used car market, surpassing petrol and diesel cars. According to Auto Trader, EVs took an average of just 27 and 25 days to sell in the previous month and the current month, respectively. In comparison, petrol and diesel cars are selling every 31 days on average in October.

The rise in the popularity of EVs is evident in the list of fastest-selling used cars, with seven out of the top 10 being electric or alternatively fuelled vehicles. This includes models such as the Kia Niro, Vauxhall Corsa-e, Renault Megane E-Tech, Audi e-tron, and Renault Zoe. These cars have been highly sought after, taking between 9 and 15 days to sell.

One of the contributing factors to the growing demand for used electric cars is the improved affordability and availability. Auto Trader reported that nearly a quarter (22%) of used electric stock on their platform in September was priced between £10,000 and £20,000, providing greater choice in the more affordable end of the market. This increase in options has attracted more consumers to consider purchasing used EVs.

However, the second-hand electric car market is still in its early stages, and as a result, some volatility can be expected as it continues to mature in the coming years. Despite this, retailers have a significant opportunity to future-proof their businesses and gain profits by embracing the data and trends surrounding used electric cars.

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Vauxhall Corsa Electric review

March 30, 2023Corsa-e, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, VauxhallRepost

Vauxhall’s electric supermini offers brisk performance and over 200 miles of range, but some rivals are better value for money

It might not be the most exciting electric car we’ve tested, but the Vauxhall Corsa Electric (formerly the Vauxhall Corsa-e) is still one of the best small electric cars around. Certain buyers will appreciate how ‘normal’ it looks and feels – ideal for anyone who’s nervous about driving an EV for the first time – while others will be charmed by the circa 200-mile real-world range and rock-bottom running costs. However, the electric Corsa’s price tag has now ballooned to the point where rivals offer much better value for money.

About the Vauxhall Corsa Electric

The Vauxhall Corsa is one of Britain’s motoring institutions, and the latest version of the best-selling supermini is the best and perhaps the most important yet. Not only does the sixth-generation Corsa share its platform with the Peugeot 208, like its French sister car there’s also a fully electric variant. While the Peugeot e-208 has kept its name, Vauxhall’s equivalent was Corsa-e at launch but now has been rather unimaginatively renamed the Corsa Electric.

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Opinion: Are electric cars really too expensive?

January 27, 2022Corsa-e, News, Reviews and Comment, VauxhallRepost

‘Electric cars cost too much’. Well, yes, they are expensive. But too expensive? I’m here to argue they’re not.

Let’s look at a perfect example: the award-winning, best-selling Vauxhall Corsa, which is offered in petrol, diesel and pure electric Corsa-e guises.

Now, you can buy an entry-level Corsa for £17,015, whereas the cheapest Corsa-e is £26,690. There, argument proven: electric Corsa costs £9,675 more than a petrol one. Those handy with numbers will note it’s a 44 percent increment, compounding the point: EVs cost almost half as much again as normal cars.

Although many make it, though, this isn’t quite a fair comparison. For starters, the basic Corsa is an SE Edition. The entry-level Corsa-e is a Griffin, which comes with extra goodies such as LED ambient lighting, heated front seats and steering wheel, bigger 17-inch wheels and a contrast black roof.

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Vauxhall Corsa-e 2021 review

September 1, 2021Corsa-e, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, VauxhallRepost

Vauxhall’s popular Corsa is now available as an EV, but is it worth choosing?

Introduction
The Vauxhall Corsa has played a hugely important part in the automotive scene for almost 30 years, offering affordable, practical and fun motoring to the masses. Now in its fifth generation, it’s just as popular as it’s ever been, currently being the UK’s best-selling car.

And, though still available with a range of petrol and diesel engines, this latest Corsa is even more important as it’s available as an EV – the Corsa-e. With only some special badging and revised alloy wheels setting it apart from the regular supermini, it’s one of the more subtle EVs on the market.

With Vauxhall being owned by Groupe PSA – and now Stellantis – it shares the same powertrain as other electric Peugeots and Citroens, namely the Peugeot e-208. But is it worth choosing? Let’s take a look.

Performance
If you’re familiar with other electric Peugeots, the Corsa-e’s powertrain will come as no surprise, as it combines an electric motor producing 134bhp and 260Nm of torque to a 50kWh battery.

Thanks to the zippy motor, the Corsa-e is the quickest version of this hatchback available, taking just 7.4 seconds to get from 0-60mph and reaching a top speed of 93mph.

Once the battery is charged, Vauxhall claims it can manage 209 miles on a single charge, which is competitive for a car of this size, if slightly behind the Renault Zoe’s 245-mile range. On the plus side, it can charge quickly, as using a 100kW rapid charger, its battery can be charged to 80 per cent in just half an hour. The firm is also currently offering a free home charging unit for the car, which means the battery can be charged fully in around 7.5 hours, which is plenty of time for an overnight charge.

Ride and handling
For most of the time, the Corsa-e is very good to drive. In everyday motoring it’s quiet, responsive and even impresses at higher speeds – meaning a motorway commute will be no trouble at all. There’s also a ‘B’ mode in the gearbox that allows for extra regenerative braking, meaning you can drive the Corsa-e largely with just one pedal if you so choose.

It’s not all perfect, though, as due the extra weight of the Corsa-e’s battery, Vauxhall has had to stiffen the suspension to be able to accommodate it. It means the ride can be a bit unsettled over rough surfaces, and more so than both the regular Corsa and also its Peugeot e-208 sibling.

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Vauxhall joins the EV Experience Centre in Milton Keynes

May 11, 2021Corsa-e, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, VauxhallRepost

The EV Experience Centre, based in centre:mk, has gained a brand new partner; Vauxhall has officially joined the centre as of Wednesday (28/04). Get 20% off your test drive here…

The Vauxhall Corsa-e will be joining the experience fleet and will be available for flexible test drives from Friday 30th April 2021.

Natalie Reay, EV Experience Centre Manager, said: “We’re very excited to add the new Corsa-e to our fleet of vehicles. With our centre now back open, we are looking forward to welcoming customers behind the wheel of our new electric vehicles.”

Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “The Electric Vehicle Experience Centre is a fantastic initiative to help educate British consumers about the benefits of switching to electric. Vauxhall has a range of affordable all-electric cars and vans and we are looking forward to be able to offer visitors to the centre test drives in our award-winning Corsa-e.”

To let you in on what the new supermini is capable of, the Corsa-e has a 45kWh battery (useable) and a WLTP range of 209 miles. It can charge from 15% – 80% in just 30 minutes on a rapid charger and give you a full charge on a fast charger in roughly 7.5 hours. It also has great performance with a rated 0-60mph time of 7.6 seconds.

The EV Experience Centre will also be offering the Vauxhall Mokka-e for test drives mid-way through the year, keep an eye on their social media to find out more.

For more information or to book a test drive in the Vauxhall Corsa-e, Audi e-tron Sportback, Renault ZOE, VW ID.3, VW E-UP, VW E-GOLF, BMW I3 or MINI ELECTRIC and receive an additional 20% off your experience fill out the form below or quote promo code MKFM20 when enquiring with the Electric Vehicle Experience Centre directly.

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Corsa-e review: New electric hatchback will be very familiar to Vauxhall owners

June 16, 2020Corsa-e, Electric Cars, VauxhallRepost

Mirror Motoring’s Colin Goodwin gets his hands on his first car after lockdown – the Vauxhall Corsa-e electric vehicle that sprints to 60mph in 7.6 seconds in Sport mode

The last car that was delivered to me to test before the lockdown was a Renault Zoe, which as you probably know is a fully electric car.

The first car to be delivered in the eased lockdown is a Vauxhall Corsa-e, also an electric car.

So for the limited amount of driving that I’ve done during the last two months, which is mainly going back and forth caring for my 94-year-old mum, all of it has been in an EV.

I’m getting pretty used to this electric business. Wouldn’t say I was at the evangelist stage yet, but I’m warming to it.

The Corsa-e is essentially the same car as the Peugeot e-208 but not quite as good looking. Vauxhall was quick out of the box with this car because there is no fully electric Ford hatchback and very few from other rivals.

There’s really only the aforementioned Zoe, the Mini E and Honda E – the latter offering a shorter range and higher price.

The Corsa-e has a 100kW electric motor and a 50kWh battery giving it a range in ideal conditions of 209 miles, which is about 25 miles less than the Renault.

Vauxhall will also give you a wall-mounted fast charger and fit it for free. This is just as well because charging the car from a domestic socket will take up to 24 hours.

Use a public rapid charger and you will be able to bring your Corsa-e’s battery up to 80% charge in 30 minutes.

Slip inside and you’ll see a rather more straightforward interior than the Peugeot’s. No nice piano keys to operate oft-used items like radio and sat nav, no futuristic 3D virtual cockpit and no wacky tiny steering wheel.

But never mind, there’s not much wrong with the Vauxhall’s interior and it’s very well put together.

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The Top Gear car review: Vauxhall Corsa-e

March 21, 2020Corsa-e, Electric CarsRepost

The Corsa’s gone EV with as little risk as possible, and ought to be a doddle to drive every day as a result

Overview

What is it?

Here is a Vauxhall Corsa that’s almost pioneering. And that’s something we’ve never been able to say before. This is the Corsa-e, and it’s a fully electric hatchback that looks just like its petrol-powered base car.

It’s not alone in its offer, nor is it the first of its kind. We did say almost pioneering. Indeed, it’s only come about because Vauxhall’s now owned by PSA and this is – effectively – a Peugeot e-208 in a plainer suit.

But this is an electric Corsa long before there’s an electric Fiesta or Polo. For people who like buying badges they know from dealers around the corner, that could be enough to garner rather a lot of sales. Prices start at £27,165 with the government’s current EV grant applied, making it pricier than a base e-208, but it does come with more equipment.

The Corsa-e faces a tough bunch of rivals, launching at exactly the same time as the e-208 as well as the reijgged Renault Zoe and the adorable Honda e and Mini Electric. You won’t be buying this one to make a visual statement – especially among that lot – but perhaps that’s its appeal; electric power without making a song and dance about it.

It uses the same combination of 100kW power and 50kWh battery as the e-208, adding 345kg to a regular Corsa’s kerb weight but keeping it all in the floor. Better for handling, and it means room for people and luggage is mostly unimpeded too. The fully charged range is quoted at 209 miles.

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2020 set to be year of the electric car, say industry analysts

January 12, 2020Cooper Electric, Corsa-e, Electric Cars, MINI, News, Reviews and Comment, Sales, VauxhallRepost

Mini, Vauxhall Corsa and Fiat 5oo will join rapidly expanding European EV market

Europe’s carmakers are gearing up to make 2020 the year of the electric car, according to automotive analysts, with a wave of new models launching as the world’s biggest manufacturers scramble to lower the carbon dioxide emissions of their products.

Previous electric models have mostly been targeted at niche markets, but 2020 will see the launch of flagship electric models with familiar names, such as the Mini, the Vauxhall Corsa and the Fiat 500.

The number of electric vehicle (EV) models available to European buyers will jump from fewer than 100 to 175 by the end of 2020, according to data firm IHS Markit. By 2025 there will be more than 330, based on an analysis of company announcements.

The new supply will cater to a rapidly expanding market as demand for petrol-powered vehicles gradually recedes. UK EV sales will rise from 3.4% of all vehicles sold in 2019 to 5.5% in 2020 – or from 80,000 this year to 131,000 in 2020 – according to forecasts from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. By 2026 electric vehicle sales will account for a fifth of sales in the UK, the forecasts show. Similar predictions from LMC Automotive suggest 540,000 electric cars will be sold across the EU in 2020, up from 319,000 over the course of 2019.

New European Union rules come into force on 1 January that will heavily penalise carmakers if average carbon dioxide emissions from the cars they sell rise above 95g per kilometre. If carmakers exceed that limit, they will have to pay a fine of €95 (£79) for every gram over the target, multiplied by the total number of cars they sell.

The excess emissions bill would have been £28.6bn on 2018 sales figures, according to analysis by the automotive consultancy Jato Dynamics, illustrating the extent of the change required by carmakers over a short period of time. Jato analyst Felipe Muñoz said there will still be large fines, as companies keep selling profitable internal combustion engine cars and struggle to bring down EV prices to parity with their fossil-fuel peers.

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2020 set to be year of the electric car as sales soar

December 13, 2019Citigo-e iV, Corsa-e, e-208, e-Up, Electric Cars, ID.3, Kia, Mii Electric, News, Reviews and Comment, Niro EV, Peugeot, Sales, Seat, Skoda, Vauxhall, VolkswagenRepost

Experts are predicting that 2020 will be the year of the electric car as sales continue to rise.

Figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the number of battery-electric vehicles registered in November increased by 228.8 per cent compared to the same month in 2018 – with over 4500 new EVs hitting the roads.

So far this year, nearly 14,000 electric cars have been registered in the UK, compared to 38,500 plug-in hybrids and nearly 80,000 hybrids. Mild hybrids have also seen a dramatic increase in popularity, with registrations of mild-hybrid diesels increasing by more than 450 per cent last month.

Car manufacturers are rushing to launch new electric cars in a bid to meet new emission targets set by European Union legislators. By 2021, they face strict fines if their average CO2 emissions for each car exceed 95g/km. By selling more electric vehicles (with zero tailpipe emissions) and hybrids (with reduced tailpipe emissions), average CO2 emissions will drop.

Kia recently admitted that it has 3000 customers on a waiting list for the e-Niro – something it says it intends to clear in the first half of 2020, despite previously having to halt orders as it couldn’t keep up with demand.

Volkswagen is set to launch its new electric ID range with the ID.3 hatchback, while the Volkswagen Up, SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo city cars are also going electric-only for 2020. Vauxhall’s new Corsa is available as a pure-electric model, as is the closely-related Peugeot 208.

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Think electric cars take too long to charge? Vauxhall wants to change your mind

November 1, 2019Corsa-e, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, VauxhallRepost

A supermini where 100kW recharging comes as standard

Vauxhall’s new Corsa-e will likely make a lot of friends with impatient types who are open to the idea of an all-electric car, but lack the time or inclination to get its battery charged.

Why? It’s going to arrive in April next year with the capacity for fast DC 100kW charging to replenish the 50kW battery. The feature isn’t an extra either, and it could pull in a lot of people who would otherwise pass on the chore of having to charge a battery over popping into a filling station for fuel.

A five-minute pit stop or, potentially, many, many minutes as you wait for those battery bars to replenish is perhaps why so many of us have decided to hang fire on moving over to an electric vehicle. This is still the most frustrating aspect of electric car ownership and it’s mainly about the infrastructure.

Having a car that can be recharged promptly is therefore a definite bonus. And, with its perky recharging potential that could mean the Corsa-e could really hit the right note, assuming you can find a vacant 100kW charging station that is.

In real terms that means you’ll be able to get another 160 miles or so in around half an hour, which is admittedly very handy. Vauxhall also underlines that the Corsa-e boasts a 205 mile range, which has been ticked off via WLTP certification. The car will also come with a rather more sedate 11kW charger, which will get you charged at home in around 7.5 hours using a domestic wallbox.