Vauxhall steps up a gear with release of first electric car

Vauxhall has confirmed it will launch an electric version of its Corsa hatchback in 2020. Set to be Vauxhall’s first allelectric car, it’ll be based on the next generation 2019 model.

PSA Group, made up of Peugeot, Citroen and DS, bought Vauxhall and Opel last year. The new Corsa will be the British marque’s first new car under French ownership and will be built on PSA’s CMP platform. Fellow PSA Group brand DS is working on a hybrid version of its DS 7 Crossback, so it’s likely that technology developed for that project will be used in the Corsa EV.

Following the launch of the Corsa EV, at least four more electrified Vauxhalls will be launched before 2024.

A number of Vauxhall models, including the Astra, Grand Sport and Insignia, have been altered with PSA technology to reduce their CO2 emissions, so electric models are the logical next step for the brand.

The news provides some certainty about the future of Vauxhall, as there have been concerns over the state of the brand since it was purchased by PSA Group, especially with regards to its Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire.

At present, the Corsa is Vauxhall’s bestselling car. Last month, 2,587 new examples of the hatchback were registered in the UK, placing it as the eighth best performing model overall for January 2018.

The Vauxhall Corsa was also the fifth bestselling new car in the UK in 2017 with 52,772 sales, but that achievement pales in comparison to 2016, when it won second place with 77,110 examples sold. It’s been the best-selling car in Scotland for the majority of the last 15 years.

The Corsa was first introduced to the UK market in 1993 and is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. To mark the occasion Vauxhall is offering one year’s free insurance and five year’s 0% flexible finance with no minimum deposit to new buyers of Energy and Limited Edition models aged 21-75.

The Corsa range, introduced in 1993, is Vauxhall’s best-selling car.