Skip advert
Advertisement

'The all-electric Vauxhall Corsa is a landmark car for EVs'

The new Vauxhall Corsa has gone electric and editor-in-chief Steve Fowler thinks this could be a game changer for electric cars

OPINION Vauxhall Corsa

We write a lot about electric cars these days. It’s our job to report on what’s happening in the car business and, whether we like it or not (and many don’t), it’s a subject that’s dominating new car stories and the wider news agenda. Not a day seems to pass without a story cropping up about climate change and electric vehicles. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

One of the phrases that the car industry often bandies about when talking about EVs is that they have to be ‘normalised’. That means cheaper, more accessible and more akin to what we’ve been driving for decades. For me, one car has always stood out as one that could help normalise electric car ownership: the Vauxhall Corsa

Best electric cars to buy

The Corsa is one of those cars that everyone has a story about; whether they learned to drive in one, owned one or had a mate who modified one. It’s a constant in the UK best-sellers list – last year it was the third best-selling car in the country. And now it’s going electric; this is really EVs going mainstream. 

It’s going electric in some style, too. As you can see, the Corsa has matured nicely, with Vauxhall’s design team led by Mark Adams producing one of the best-looking superminis we’ve seen for a while. Alongside its sibling, Peugeot’s 208, the humble supermini is looking posher and cooler than ever.

One of the most important parts of normalising an electric car is the range. Vauxhall says that a real-world range of 205 miles should be achievable – more than enough, I suspect, for most Corsa owners.

Of course, that’s nothing if the car’s not affordable and, let’s face it, most EVs are expensive even when fuel, tax and other running cost savings are taken into account.

So what about the Corsa? Converting the cost from the expected German price in Euros and taking away the current plug-in car grant, you could have an electric Corsa on your driveway for as little as £23,000. Expensive for a Corsa, maybe, but not for an EV that promises as much as this one.

Do you agree that the new Vauxhall Corsa is a landmark for electric cars? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Editor-in-chief

Steve Fowler has been editor-in-chief of Auto Express since 2011 and is responsible for all editorial content across the website and magazine. He has previously edited What Car?, Autocar and What Hi-Fi? and has been writing about cars for the best part of 30 years. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Best small cars to buy 2024
Best small cars - February 2024 header
Best cars & vans

Best small cars to buy 2024

Small cars come in all kinds of shapes, if not sizes. Here we highlight the best new small cars on sale
16 Feb 2024
Best-selling cars of 2023
Best-selling cars 2023 - header image
Best cars & vans

Best-selling cars of 2023

These were the country’s official favourite cars in 2023
1 Feb 2024
Vauxhall Corsa review
Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 Turbo GS main image
In-depth reviews

Vauxhall Corsa review

The Vauxhall Corsa is a smart-looking supermini, has numerous engine options, and offers good levels of standard equipment
22 Jan 2024
Top 10 best superminis to buy 2024
Best superminis 2023
Best cars & vans

Top 10 best superminis to buy 2024

It's a hard-fought class, but these are the 10 best superminis on sale right now
15 Jan 2024

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in
Skoda Enyaq iV - front cornering
News

Car Deal of the Day: updated Skoda Enyaq at 0% APR and a free home wallbox charger thrown in

Skoda’s family-friendly EV with 348-mile range is our Car Deal of the Day for 26 March
26 Mar 2024