Vauxhall confirms all-electric Astra-E

Vauxhall has confirmed the arrival of a fully-electric Astra-e family hatchback in 2023. The zero-emissions model will sit alongside the petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid Astra, which gets a radical new design inside and out. It will join the Corsa-e, Mokka-e, Combo-e Life and Vivaro-e Life in Vauxhall’s electric vehicle lineup, and go head-to-head with the Volkswagen ID.3 and Renault Megane E-Tech Electric. Vauxhall plans for all its models to be fully electric by 2028.

The manufacturer stopped short of providing technical specifications, but it’s likely the Astra-e is underpinned by the new Stellantis STLA Medium platform, which was first developed by the PSA Group with the e-VMP name. It will be shared with a forthcoming all-electric version of the Peugeot 308. Because it’s an evolution of the EMP2 platform underpinning combustion-engined versions of the Astra, it should also be possible to manufacture the Astra-e in Rüsselsheim, Germany, on the same production line to cut costs. In the same announcement, Vauxhall has confirmed that a practical Sport Tourer version of the Astra will go on sale in 2022, with diesel power coming from the 129bhp 1.5-litre engine mated to either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.