► Popular family car gets EV powertrain
► 258 miles of range, fast charge in 26 mins
► Hatchback priced from £39,995
Vauxhall’s push to be fully electric by 2028 has taken another step forward with the arrival of the Astra Electric. Initially available in hatchback form, a Sports Tourer estate version is due to follow later in 2023.
The Astra Electric uses a 54kWh battery to send power to the front wheels. Its maximum output is 154bhp and 199lb ft of torque, meaning 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 106mph. Total WLTP range is 258 miles.
When plugged into an 11kW public charger a 0-100% refill takes 5hrs and 45mins, increasing to around 8hrs when using a 7kW home wall box. Plug into a 100kW DC CCS charger and a 20-80% charge takes around 26 minutes.
What else is new?
Vauxhall has deliberately kept the outside and inside of the Astra Electric looking consistent with its ICE equivalents. Differing alloy wheel designs and discreet electric badging give the game away, but unless you’re a serious Astra buff it will be almost impossible to tell the difference from a distance.
Trim levels are very simple, with the GS version coming in at £39,995 and the Ultimate at £43,110. Both versions however come with the Pure Panel infotainment system with two 10-inch displays, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree parking camera and heated front seats and steering wheel. Meanwhile, Ultimate spec cars get a head-up display, a panoramic sunroof, wireless smartphone charging and Intelli-Air air filtering in addition.
If the spec details sound familiar, that’s because the electric Peugeot 308 hatch and SW estate are coming with the same electric bits in 2023. The 308’s motor is rated at 115kW, but its range is slightly down on the Astra’s at 258 miles. Peugeot quotes a 20-80% charging time in less than 25 mins.
Vauxhall’s Astra Electric is on sale now, with deliveries expected in the summer. Peugeot’s e-308s are expected to follow in the autumn. Both will form a pincer movement on the MG 5, which has previously had the electric wagon market all to itself.