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Vauxhall Corsa Electric

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Expert Rating

Vauxhall Corsa Electric

(2020 – present)

    Summary


    The Vauxhall Corsa Electric is a fully-electric version of the new Corsa supermini hatchback. It was launched alongside the conventional petrol and diesel models in late 2019, with first UK deliveries arriving in early 2020 just before the UK went into lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Up until about Summer 2022, the Corsa Electric was known as the Corsa-e. A similar rebranding has been applied to all of the company’s electric models (Mokka, Combo, Vivaro and the forthcoming Astra).

    The new Corsa and Corsa Electric are the first built under PSA’s ownership of Vauxhall, after previous owners GM sold the brand to PSA in 2017. As a result, the Corsa Electric shares most of its components, including its electric motor and battery, with the Peugeot e-208.

    Initial reviews of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric have been positive, although its current Expert Rating of 62% places it firmly in the midfield of the small car sector – with the same score as the more conventional petrol/diesel Corsa.

    The Corsa Electric has been praised for its overall comfort and general feeling of familarity, which could be reassuring for buyers who are unsure about making the jump to an electric car. However, it’s not considered as stylish and appealing as the closely-related Peugeot e-208, and it’s also expensive to purchase compared to a regular petrol Corsa.

    An updated Vauxhall Corsa range is due to arrive in the UK before the end of 2023. This is a facelift to the existing car, rather than an all-new model. The most obvious difference will be revised front-end styling that brings the Corsa into line with Vauxhall’s newer models.

    Key specifications


    Body style: Small five-door hatch
    Motor: electric, battery-powered
    Price: From £34,080 on-road

    Launched: Winter 2019/20
    Last updated: Winter 2021/22
    Replacement due: TBA


    Media reviews


    Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

    The Car Expert

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    Auto Express

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    Car

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    Company Car Today

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    Daily Mirror

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    Discover EV

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    Driving Electric

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    Electrifying.com

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    Green Car Guide

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    Heycar

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    Honest John

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    Move Electric

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    Parkers

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    The Sun

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    The Telegraph

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    Top Gear

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    What Car?

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    Which EV?

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    Which?

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    Safety rating


    Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

    Overall score: 4 stars
    Date tested: November 2019
    Read the full Euro NCAP review

    Adult protection: 84%
    Child protection: 86%
    Vulnerable road users: 66%
    Safety assist: 69%

    Notes on safety rating

    In May 2021, Euro NCAP confirmed that the Corsa Electric is now included in the overall Vauxhall Corsa safety rating. The regular combustion-engined Corsa (ie – all petrol and diesel models) was tested back in 2019, and its four-star score now applies to the Corsa Electric.

    Euro NCAP requires either separate testing or substantial evidence from car manufacturers before applying a safety rating to an electric version of a petrol/diesel car. This is because of the substantial differences in the car’s composition resulting from replacing the engine, gearbox and fuel system with an electric motor and battery.

    Eco rating


    Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

    No eco rating

    As of July 2023, the Vauxhall Corsa Electric has not yet been lab tested by Green NCAP.

    The Green NCAP programme measures exhaust pollution (which is zero for an electric car) and energy efficiency. Electric cars are much more energy-efficient than combustion cars, so the Corsa Electric is likely to score very highly in Green NCAP testing if and when it ever takes place. Check back again soon.

    Reliability rating

    MotorEasy logo 600x167

    As of July 2023, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Vauxhall Corsa Electric to generate a rating. Our reliability score is based on warranty data provided exclusively to us by our commercial partner, MotorEasy.

    As soon as MotorEasy has enough data on the Vauxhall Corsa Electric to generate a reliability score, we’ll update this section of the page.

    Running cost rating

    Clear Vehicle Data logo close crop

    Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

    Battery rangeAverageScoreVariationScore
    EV models222 milesB209 – 222 milesB – B
    Electrical efficiencyAverageScoreVariationScore
    EV models4.4 m/KWhB4.1 – 4.4 m/KWhB – C
    Insurance groupAverageScoreVariationScore
    All models24B24 – 25B – B
    Service and maintenanceCostScore
    Year 1£117A
    Year 2£315A
    Year 3£479A
    Year 4£659A
    Year 5£901A
    Overall£2,471A

    The Vauxhall Corsa Electric is a pretty cheap car to run, according to running cost data provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our commercial partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

    Electricial efficiency (the EV equivalent of miles per gallon for petrol or diesel cars) is pretty good, which helps the Corsa to squeeze more than 220 miles out of a battery, on average. This is based on EU/UK government lab testing, so real-world driving will be lower, but is still decent for a small hatchback.

    Servicing and insurance costs should be very good as well, so running a Vauxhall Corsa Electric should hopefully be a relatively painless experience.

    Security rating

    Thatcham Research logo 150x65px

    Rating: Superior | Good | Basic | Poor | Unacceptable
    Relay Attack: Fail

    Date: March 2020
    Model tested: Ultimate Turbo 100

    The Vauxhall Corsa Electric hasn’t specifically been tested for anti-theft protection by Thatcham Research, but the regular petrol Corsa has and it shares its technology with the Corsa Electric so the same rating applies.

    The Corsa automatically received a Poor rating from Thatcham because it failed a relay attack test, which measures the security of a car’s keyless entry and/or keyless start system. The Vauxhall Corsa and Corsa Electric models are susceptible to thieves intercepting the car’s keyless signal and using it to steal the car.

    Awards


    Trophies, prizes and awards that the Vauxhall Corsa Electric has received

    2022

    • Carbuyer Awards – Used Car of the Year + Best Used Small Car

    2020

    • The Sun Motor Awards – Car of the Year

    Similar cars


    If you’re looking at the Vauxhall Corsa Electric, you might also be interested in these alternatives

    BMW i3 | Fiat 500 Electric | Honda e | Kia Soul EV | Mini Electric | Peugeot e-208 | Renault Zoe | SEAT Mii Electric | Smart EQ Forfour | Toyota Yaris Hybrid | Volkswagen e-Up

    The Vauxhall Corsa Electric is based on the Peugeot e-208, so the two models share the same electric motor and battery pack, as well as most of their key components. The Mini Electric and Renault Zoe are a similar size to the Corsa, while the Honda e is a smaller car.


    More news, reviews and information about the Vauxhall Corsa family at The Car Expert

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    Britain’s best-selling cars of 2023

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    Facelifted Vauxhall Corsa now on sale

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    Vauxhall Corsa-e gets Anniversary Edition trim

    Vauxhall Corsa-e gets Anniversary Edition trim

    Government ends electric car subsidy

    Government ends electric car subsidy

    Major price cuts among Corsa and Mokka range changes

    Major price cuts among Corsa and Mokka range changes

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    Five affordable electric car lease deals

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    Vauxhall slashes EV prices after government cuts grant

    Vauxhall slashes EV prices after government cuts grant

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    Media reviews of the all-electric Vauxhall Corsa-e have been positive, although (like the petrol version) its Expert Rating is disappointing.Vauxhall Corsa Electric