Upgraded Vauxhall Corsa Electric range grows to 266 miles

As one of the most recognisable and well-loved cars in the UK, the Vauxhall Corsa has seen plenty of refreshes and facelifts over the years. But this time, it’s the Vauxhall Corsa Electric that’s going under the knife, with a longer electric range and improved usability as a result.

This update is available exclusively with the Long Range version, which is powered by a battery with a total capacity of 51kWh and a 154bhp motor. Under official figures, the outgoing model could manage up to 252 miles, but, thanks to its recent refresh, that figure grows to 266 miles between charges. 

That now exceeds the 252 miles of the Renault 5 and the 254 miles offered by the Peugeot e-208, but if you’re travelling long distances between charges, you’ll still be better off with an MG4 Extended Range – which can officially manage 323 miles.

That’s not all that’s new, though. The Long Range variant will also now have Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality available for the first time. This means that you’ll be able to power other devices, such as power tools or camping equipment, using the car’s 51kWh battery. To do that, you’ll need the standard onboard charger and a V2L gun, which is available as an accessory from Vauxhall.

Nothing has changed in terms of charging speeds – the Corsa Electric Long Range can accept speeds of up to 100kW, so a 10-80% top-up should take around 30 minutes. That’s par for the course for most rivals, too.

The new Corsa Electric Long Range will now be available in Vauxhall’s accessible YES Edition trim, which means it gets heated front seats and a faux leather steering wheel as standard, as well as LED rear lights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and 16in diamond-cut alloy wheels. 

The new Corsa Electric Long Range should arrive in showrooms in May this year. It’ll be priced from £28,900, significantly undercutting the MG4 Extended Range and the e-208.

Read more: Best electric cars >>

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here