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Vauxhall Corsa Electric Review 2024

2021 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 SE Premium 5dr Vauxhall Corsa
1.2 SE Premium 5dr
£11,999
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Vauxhall Corsa Electric At A Glance

3/5
Honest John Overall Rating
There's a no-nonsense appeal to the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. Rivals offer more in the way of style, though, while Chinese alternatives significantly undercut the Corsa on price.

+Electric car with range of up to 246 miles. Smoother ride than petrol models and easy to live with in and out of town.

-Expensive to buy. Arguably a little dull. Rear seat space is restricted compared to many other small hatchbacks.

Insurance Groups are between 24–25

The Vauxhall Corsa Electric is refreshingly free of gimmicks. It does exactly what it says on the tin: it's just a Vauxhall Corsa that happens to be powered by electricity rather than petrol or diesel.

Rather than luring in the early adopters who may well choose a Honda E or BYD Dolphin (yes, that is a real car), the Vauxhall Corsa Electric is aimed squarely at those who might not otherwise look at an EV. They are the drivers who like the idea of zero tailpipe emissions but don’t want to wear their eco-friendliness as a badge every time they pop to the shops.

The Vauxhall Corsa Electric is a good place to start for those buyers as it has all of the usual EV positives, as well as some of the negatives. For starters, it’s a thoroughly modern supermini with plenty of safety kit included, as well as a good level of comfort and luxury equipment including a 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen in the centre of the dash.

The front cabin of the Corsa Electric is much the same as its siblings, so there’s a fine driving position and plenty of space for those up front. It’s much less generous in the back, which is a problem common to all Corsas of this generation rather than being a specifically EV issue.

However, there are some key differences between the Corsa Electric and its fossil-fuelled sister models. For starters, the rear wheels are positioned very slightly further back to accommodate the battery pack that sits under the front and rear seats. The wheels are also spaced a little wider, while Vauxhall has also worked hard to keep the weight low in the body to aid handling.

Speaking of weight, the Corsa Electric's batteries contribute to an all-up weight that is 345kg more than a petrol-powered Corsa. That’s a lot of heft to be lugging about, but thankfully the retuned suspension does a better job of dealing with it than in the petrol- or diesel-powered models. So, the Corsa Electric rides noticeably better than the standard models, though it does feel all of those additional kilos when changing direction in faster corners.

That won’t bother too many Corsa Electric drivers as they will be more interested in the efficiency of the car. There are now two models available: the regular Vauxhall Corsa Electric, with a range of up to 222 miles. And - from 2023 - the Corsa Electric Long Range, with its 246-mile range. The difference between them is so small it's almost inconsequential, although some Corsa buyers might appreciate the extra power provided by the Long Range model.

Charging the Vauxhall Corsa Electric is a piece of cake. We'd recommend using a 7kW home wallbox, if possible, but a 100kW public rapid charger can top up the battery in about half an hour.

This is all pretty standard stuff for an electric car, but that's part of the appeal of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric. There's little about it that'll surprise you. If you already own a petrol Vauxhall Corsa (or maybe even a Ford Fiesta... RIP), the Corsa Electric will be pleasantly easy to drive and easy to own. It's a shame it's no longer one of the cheapest electric cars on sale today, though.

What do owners think of the Vauxhall Corsa Electric? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with the car day in, day out.

Reviews for Vauxhall Corsa Electric's top 3 rivals

Honda e
3/5
Standout retro-futuristic styling. Dramatic multi-screen interior looks great and works well. Fun to...
MG 4
4/5
Extremely good value for money. Fun to drive. Range of up to 281 miles.
Peugeot e-208
3/5
Maximum range of 248 miles. Smooth electric powertrain. Upmarket cabin. High-spec models get heads-up...

Ask Honest John

What's the best short-mileage commuter car?

"I need something for traveling 15 miles a day to and back from work, but I am fussy and want something that is cheap to run, insure and maintain yet has comforts like air con, a decent stereo and a heated drivers seat. Also it must have enough grunt for overtaking on country roads when I get stuck behind someone trundling at 30mph! £15k budget and must be under 5 years old."
Are you able to charge a car at home? If so, an electric car like the Vauxhall Corsa-e could be ideal. It will be cheap to run, have more than enough range for your commute and plenty of poke for overtaking. Otherwise, a small petrol car like the Ford Fiesta would be a good choice.
Answered by Andrew Brady

What are the best value electric cars?

"What are the best value electric cars? "
An MG ZS EV represents excellent value for money, as does the MG 5 EV estate car. If you're looking for something smaller, consider a Vauxhall Corsa-e or Fiat 500 Electric. A Smart EQ Fortwo could be a good urban runaround if you don't wish to travel very far. This might help: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/guides/cheapest-electric-car/
Answered by Andrew Brady

Why are electric cars so expensive?

"Why are electric/hybrid cars so expensive? There’s no chance that an ordinary family will buy one. What’s going on? "
They're still relatively new. There's a lot more research and development that goes into an electric car, and the costs involved increase the list price when the car goes to market. There's also the cost of the batteries. With that said, they start to make more sense when you look at the finance costs and factor in savings elsewhere. For example, an electric Vauxhall Corsa-e will cost around £50 a more month than the equivalent petrol model. That's on a four-year PCP deal, with an equal deposit. Factor in things like the cost of taxing a petrol Corsa (c.£13/month), fuelling it (you could save hundreds here depending on your mileage) and servicing it (EV servicing is usually cheaper as there's less components), you could actually save a considerable amount of money by buying an electric car.
Answered by Andrew Brady

What's the best electric car to buy in 2021?

"What's the best electric car to buy in 2021?"
It depends on your requirements. Cars like the Skoda Citigo-e iV, Vauxhall Corsa-e and Renault Zoe are a great intro to electric vehicles. The Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen e-Golf are good used choices. The Volkswagen ID.3 is a superb all-rounder, as is the Kia e-Niro and Tesla Model 3. Then there are premium electric SUVs like the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Audi e-tron. A list of the cheapest electric cars can be found here: https://heycar.co.uk/guides/cheapest-electric-cars
Answered by Andrew Brady
More Questions

What does a Vauxhall Corsa Electric cost?

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