Opel Corsa Electric 50 kWh

Overview

The 2023 Opel Corsa-e in its 50 kWh guise was a cracking little electric supermini, perfect for zipping around European cities. As a now-discontinued model (production ended in 2023), it represents a savvy buy on the used market, with prices around €13,999. Its key draws were blending the familiar, stylish Corsa package with zero-emission motoring, offering a decent real-world range and nippy performance for its class. This specific trim provided a balanced electric experience before Opel rolled out its updated Corsa Electric range, making it a great entry point into EV ownership.

What's New for 2023?

For 2023, this particular 50 kWh Corsa-e trim represented the final production run of this iteration, as its discontinuation was marked for this year. Major updates were slated for the subsequent facelifted 'Corsa Electric', so this 2023 model largely carried over the successful and well-established features from the previous year. Think of it as the refined swansong of this Corsa-e generation; offering European buyers a familiar, competent, and increasingly affordable electric hatchback package, packed with the essentials before the big refresh hit showrooms.

Design & Exterior

The 2023 Corsa-e 50 kWh rocks the familiar sharp and modern supermini styling that made the conventional Corsa a hit. It's compact and city-friendly, measuring 4060 mm in length, 1765 mm wide (sans mirrors), and 1433 mm tall. This electric version, assembled in Spain, boasts subtle 'e' badging and a sleek, closed-off grille area. Standard lighting often included smart-looking LED units, and while specific wheel designs varied, they generally complemented its youthful appeal. It’s a tidy, well-proportioned hatchback that looks right at home on European streets.

Interior, Tech & Cargo

Inside, the Corsa-e 50 kWh offers a well-put-together cabin that feels modern for a supermini. Materials are generally decent, with a driver-focused dashboard. It seats five, though rear space is best for two adults or kids on longer journeys. Tech-wise, you’d typically find a touchscreen infotainment system, often with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard for seamless connectivity. For your bits and bobs, there's a practical 309-litre boot, expanding to a useful 1118 litres with the rear seats folded flat. Unfortunately, there’s no frunk for extra cable storage.

Performance & Driving Experience

This Corsa-e 50 kWh is surprisingly nippy! Its front-wheel-drive setup is powered by a single Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) churning out 100 kW and a healthy 260 Nm of instant torque. This translates to a brisk 0-100 km/h sprint in just 8.1 seconds – perfect for darting through city traffic. The driving experience is generally smooth and comfortable, with light steering making it a doddle to park. It offers a couple of regenerative braking modes to help claw back some energy, too. Top speed is a sensible 150 km/h.

Range, Battery & Charging

The Corsa-e 50 kWh packs a 46.3 kWh usable battery (50 kWh nominal), delivering a Green Cars Compare calculated real-world range of around 311 km – pretty decent for daily duties. Energy efficiency is rated at a solid 6.72 km/kWh. For charging, it features a CCS Type 2 port compatible with its 400V architecture. At home on AC, the standard 7.4 kW charger tops it up in roughly 6.5 hours, or faster (around 4.5 hours) with the optional 11 kW unit. Out and about, it can guzzle electrons at up to 100 kW from a DC fast charger.

Safety & Driver-Assistance Features

Safety-wise, the Opel Corsa-e scored a respectable 4 stars from Euro NCAP. This 50 kWh version typically came equipped with a good baseline of driver-assistance systems. Standard kit often included essentials like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, and traffic sign recognition, keeping you right and proper. Depending on the specific market and any option packs fitted, you might also find features like adaptive cruise control or blind-spot monitoring, though some of these advanced aids could have been on the options list for this particular trim.

Warranty & Maintenance Coverage

For European buyers, Opel typically offered a standard 2-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty on the Corsa-e. Crucially, the high-voltage battery was covered by a more extensive warranty, usually 8 years or 160,000 km, guaranteeing at least 70% of its original capacity. Powertrain components would align with the vehicle warranty. Maintenance is generally a doddle with EVs, being less frequent and cheaper than petrol or diesel equivalents, thanks to fewer moving parts. Any complimentary maintenance periods would have varied by country and dealer promotions at the time of sale.