Vauxhall Corsa-e, 1st Drive Exclusive | FULLY CHARGED for Clean Energy & Electric Vehicles

[@fullychargedshow]

LIKE if you could be tempted by the Corsa-e and SHARE if you think people should be more aware that there is an electric version of this Vauxhall. See below for full description... Robert might be in a depressing, deserted car park just outside Bristol, but is the electric blue Corsa-e going to be an uplifting experience? What will his verdict be on this brand new electric car from Vauxhall. It's a car for 'normal people', but will 'normal people' want to buy it? For easy reference through each section of this episode, see *timestamps* below... If you enjoyed this review stay tuned this week for Robert's verdict on the SEAT Mii and next week for Rory's verdict on the Mercedes EQC. Fully Charged is 100% independent thanks to KZbin Memberships (join above) and Patreons (join via www.patreon.com/FullyChargedShow). Online News, Views & Reviews: fullycharged.show LIVE exhibitions in USA, UK & Europe: fullycharged.show/events/ Guidebook to Clean Energy & Electric Vehicles: www.amazon.co.uk/Fully-Charge... Twitter: twitter.com/FullyChargedShw Instagram: instagram.com/fullycharge... Timestamps: 0:00 Exterior Shots & Introduction 0:37 Brilliantly Unremarkable? 2:24 PSA Group including Peugeot e208 2:52 Interior Front & Rear 3:20 Boot/Trunk Space 4:05 Charging Port 5:03 Easy to Drive 5:35 Let's Start With the Positives 6:01 The Slightly Less Positive 7:38 Deeper Dive into Range 8:14 The Vauxhall Brand 8:40 Energy Efficiency 9:35 The Negatives 11:19 Declining Cost of Batteries 13:25 Chargepoint Install included 13:52 Tight Turning Circle 14:36 Fully Charged's Conclusion 15:30 Subscribe and Support Us

[@dylancox9516]

Need video on street parking Charing solutions as don't have drive or nearby charging station

[@AaronStarkLinux]

Electric cars are more expensive not because they are electric, it's because of the line production, they still produce more fossil cars than electric, that is the reason fossil cars are cheaper they produce more cars per day in comparison with EVs, the cost per day and in general keeping the line production. As long as they are more demand for fossil than electric the line (cost/unit) will be cheaper in fossils.

[@davidcolin6519]

@@AaronStarkLinux That doesn't really make sense when you realise that the Kia and Hyundai e-Niro and e-Kona respectively, are sold out for a year's worth of production, yet their prices have not fallen at all in response. Not only that, but the KIA group has said that they've added significantly to their capacity, which would presumably not only cut production costs, but also development/unit costs. I think it is just as likely that these companies are trying to maximise profits/unit because the automotive industry is so f*cked by pretty much everything from climate change to Covid 19. The fact that they're also largely responsible for the former is a moot point.

[@littlechanges13]

Me and my partner went and test drove it just before lock down. Very much inline with your statements it was a great car... Wayyyy too much money. Judging by the near daily calls I’m getting from Vauxhall asking about whether I want information etc they’re not doing very well. Truth be told I’m not sure I’d buy a car not on a dedicated EV platform, having things like the transmission/exhaust tunnel ruining the rear middle seat is just stupid.

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

@@davidcolin6519 Are any of those cars being made in significant numbers? Its not hard to sell something out when you only make a few thousand per year.

[@Gizmodus]

I love how he says Opéuel like its the most exotic thing there is. When I was a kid and found out that the boring brand that is known everywhere as Opel was actually called Vauxhall in England, I found that to be very exotic.

[@nicosmind3]

Yeah the Opel badge, like the name, is really boring. The Vauxhall badge however looks great. No wonder the British have stuck to it.

[@KillaBitz]

But we consider vaxhall boring and Opel as exotic because we only see opel on holiday. Some UK car modders will swap out the vaxhall badge for Opel ones just to try and stand out.

[@bumblebee9337]

Oppa gangnam style?

[@KillaBitz]

It's funny how we had the exact same experience but from the opposite side of the fence.

[@ulwur]

@@nicosmind3 but the opel badge is brilliant on electronic cars with its sparks.

[@dobias28]

The E stands for Expensive

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

It is expensive - even for electric cars. It seems over priced for what it is and against electric vehicle competition. It costs almost a grand MORE than the larger Nissan Leaf. But I guess it's an option for a Vauxhall fan :/

[@robertebob3596]

Its priced to sell just enough to bring the fleet sales in line with the euro emission limits.

[@mrglwatson]

Companies charge with what they think people will pay. As more company’s start producing EV and there is more competition that will drive prices down.

[@SMGJohn]

@Grizzy Bear That is a fallacy argument kind of like the Fascists used to get into power in Italy. Regardless, new technology does not = expensive, this is idiotic plenty of examples just to disprove you for example the first mainstream electric cars were almost half the fucking price of any comparable decent petrol car. So I mean good luck with that argument and also Plasma TV's were actually cheaper than LCD panels of similar size when they came out, so again, you screwed up.

[@mrpugster]

@Grizzy Bear bit harsh

[@birdingbilly]

It's a rip off and I'm glad Robert is now calling out manufactures on this - thats a £15,000 car not £29,000.

[@IonorReasSpamGenerator]

This is Vauxhall's first mass-produced EV, so you also paying for the development of EV, chargers, etc.., and cost of constructing new manufacturing infrastructure. This additional entry cost cannot be easily dispersed over buyers as this car is produced in small numbers, so it costs more than it needs to due insufficient economy of scale. PSA did not have Tesla battery production capabilities, so unless that happens, some theoretical numbers on how much battery should and could cost when produced on large scale inhouse are irrelevant. Considering that Skoda Go EV city car with 32kW battery cost around 20K Eur and that thing is produced in the Czech Republic where wages are less than half of what you get in the UK as a car factory worker, you will need a lot of manufacturing upscale to push the cost of EV Corsa down seriously without switching production to ex-Soviet satellites with cheaper labor and cost for utilities (gas heating, electricity for lights and heavy machinery like steel alloy sheet forming, automated welding, etc.).

[@MrGonzonator]

I've seen dealers selling the Elite for £24k

[@macpdm]

Its economies of scale when their is volume of production prices will or should come down

[@coolI12332]

I would love to buy an electric car but the price difference between the engine cars and electric cars are too big. The electric car should actually cost less

[@drxym]

@@macpdm they won't get economies of scale without offering a good vehicle at an affordable price.

[@forester32]

Robert I couldn’t agree with you more regarding the 30k price tag when there top spec petrol version is nearly 10k cheaper! Vauxhall is not the only guiltily car manufacturer employing this tactic, And we are desperate to change our family diesel car to an EV but it’s just so expensive compared to an ICE car, all I can do is wait for prices to drop, but yet another great video with an honest point of view.

[@bhatkrishnakishor]

I sold my diesel car few years back, and I am too waiting to buy a decent electric car in my budget, here in India 🙂

[@sjwright2]

The reason for the high price isn't because batteries are expensive, it's because batteries are still supply constrained. If PSA can only source enough batteries to make N-thousand electric cars in 2020, they'll make those N-thousand electric cars and sell them at whatever price results in N-thousand sales. They could sell them for a "reasonable" price, but then they'd sell out of the year's production capacity in a few hours, make far less money, and have nothing to sell anyone for 364 days of the year. But I'm sure they'd do it if they realised it would make Robert happy.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

Go for Tesla.

[@bigrigger3762]

Don’t be too hasty about EV’s If you really look into the whole electric car hype,you’ll see they’re not really as green and eco friendly as we’ve been led to believe.

[@julianwarmington1267]

@@sjwright2 Or, that's what those companies will tell us, anyway; the full truth of the matter is that of course those companies are desperately terrified of full electric automobiles because they know how vastly far and away much more superior they are in all aspects, and if everyone could afford an electric of similar driving distance potential at the same price point, there'd be zero demand for any of those utterly ugly smelly arsed dirty old fashioned out of date gas guzzlers... which is probably yet another reason why demand for all legacy auto makers has tanked by about 30% for each of the last quarters.

[@afterburner94]

Laughed my ass off at 2:05 . Apart from that, another great, down-to-earth & honest review. Final verdict is bang on : this car is waaaay too overpriced for its specs. Give it another try PSA. So freaking glad Robert called them out on their overpriced electric cars, especially built on the exact same ICE platform, that sells for 15k less.

[@balexandre]

I agree with him, it's to not drop sales on ICE cars... e208 is way cleaner 😊

[@MrGonzonator]

I wish PSA all the best flogging these and their Peugeot cousins. I hope they sell millions of them, but they won't at that price.

[@alexthewheelers]

Yep, £28k for a city car, can't imagine many people will be diving into finance deals on that given our rapidly approaching recession! Or for people entirely financially driven, a petrol Corsa plus 2000 gallons of fuel!

[@VolkerHett]

Here in Germany I got the mandatory (and priced in, no doubt there) 3000 Euro manufacturer rebate and another 2500 by the dealer and with the 3000 government subsidy my Corsa was slightly cheaper than a comparable petrol Corsa (130hp and automatic). A Renault Zoe would have been slightly more expensive. A Mini Cooper SE much more expensive.

[@coolblue9618]

Indeed very overpriced ..They need to screw the early buyers Just like flat screen TVs were horrendously overpriced Then they plumetted,I will be buying a luxury 3litre exec uppto 5 yr old for less than 10k 35k when new and still enough money left over plenty of fuel and loads of fun

[@jsundb02]

If I could, I would give this video 20 thumbs up, just because of the price-rant. I want more of this price-ranting. From you and from all journalists/KZbinrs. More questioning of electric car prices. Well done!!!

[@nakfan]

@Johan Sundberg - Yes, and Robert is a specialist in ranting 😀

[@bobhudson1000]

Well, we have just ordered a Corsa-e, delivery due at the end of November. It will be our first electric car, can't wait.

[@Darx97]

i love what they've done with the design on this thing, super fresh, and being electric makes it even better, I want one

[@MichaelGreenLagos]

They are over priced better to wait Tesla is building a factory in Bristol will be cheaper and maybe a new model 2 and will have the new million miles battery they are heading to wards less then 100$ a kg and Tesla are making there own batteries more dense over 300 watts per kg so lighter and faster charging

[@NewmanAutomotive]

Surely you jest? It's the dullest looking Corsa design in years!

[@Darx97]

Ye sure is overpriced, can't wait for electric cars to be even more affordable

[@PaulHawkins87]

Looks ten years old compared to its better looking counterpart the Peugeot 208...

[@harrycarson6766]

Some see cars as modes of transport. Some want to be seen and noticed, wannabe slebs; Some want to be something they can never be. It's a car. A very good car, with excellent safety features. It's a step forward ( future historians will laugh at our range, cables, etc as we still wonder at early flight, Edwardian phones etc). The price should reflect the cost more closely. There are bigger issues with cars than what a model looks like.

[@richyb7375]

Just ordered mine last week, £2k off and free Premium metallic paint, free wall charger and free 6 month Polar charging subscription, 3 years free servicing and breakdown. Just went for the SE Nav had plenty of spec for us. Looked at the Peugeot e208 but the Active spec was poor with steel wheels! Only free colour was Yellow, nice cars, both are very good. Some deals to be had out there with 5k off from some brings the price down to about £25k

[@sully86]

I wanted to see what's under the bonnet:(

[@reggiebuffat]

A bee?

[@CaroAbebe]

So did I ...

[@Ifyoudonttakeitucantfakeit]

At that price it’s either bog roll or pipe.

[@freggo6604]

Actually this is a 4 banger. It has four hamsters in a wheel connected to a generator. They tried Squirrels because they work for peanuts but hamsters turned the wheel more consistently.

[@grant3226]

agreed, assumption that "us mortals wouldn't find it interesting" was short sighted

[@anthonysharp2522]

Agree re pricing 😠but not just Vauxhall ! Just had Hyundai F/B advert where Diesel Kona is £19K and electric is £36K 🤬

[@markgilder9990]

Glade I found this channel. Getting an electric van, Vauxhall Vivaro. Love your presentations great show. Just the right length of time. As an electrician I find all this technology fascinating.

[@paulbarton957]

So glad you covered cost. Sadly your theory is prevalent across the whole industry. Legacy auto makes don’t want to sell many and price accordingly. Only Tesla want to sell in large quantities.

[@DuvJones]

I wonder about that, Tesla has found out over the years that you can't manufacturer cars on a whim, not without the systems in place to do so and the money to float that. I was talking to Tesla repair guy in my supermarket a week ago... and ended with this "I honestly don't think that Elon has it in him to be the Ford's of the world. Not just because of he is not in the position to 'Shit' out cars in volume, but because to be that kind of company requites a scale of ruthlessness that I just don't think he has in him." Think that over, honestly... it might not be a matter of Elon's temperament to be ruthless (covid has unmasked that, surprisingly, he can still just not the point of Ford, GM and co.), through that is part of it. It is also that doing so would shake Tesla's brand to the core. With more cars on the market, he needs that eco-friendly "badge of honour" where the company can seemingly do no wrong with a throng of Apple-like fans to his products. He can't risk shitting on that because that is where his market lay.

[@DuvJones]

I will also say that with few exceptions, many brands are dipping their toes into the EV market which I kind of expected. The reason is multifaceted, but honestly.... let's be real, most legacy auto manufacturers don't understand the electric power train and how it can change the design possibilites. Their is going to be alot of toe dipping because they do want to explore those changes and unless you have really good reason to dive in whole, say... several judgments on cheating emissions standards costing you billions (Oh, hai VW group), there is going to be a period where boring is good. Where the best thing that you can go is just put out something competent while the research continues behind the scenes. The only issues that I have with that comes down to the pricing, because these are vehicles that are good but the pricing is out of the market where this really, really matters (in the hands of every day people just wanting to get to work). The EV market isn't hot enough to force the issue... YET. I think that will be soon.

[@tonnenj1]

Duv Jones h

[@sjwright2]

It's also because batteries are still supply constrained. If PSA can only source enough batteries to make N-thousand electric cars in 2020, they'll make those N-thousand electric cars and sell them at whatever price results in N-thousand sales. They _could_ sell them for a "reasonable" price, but then they'd sell out of the year's production capacity in a few hours, make far less money, and have nothing to sell anyone for 364 days of the year. This is why Tesla built their own battery factory with the help of Panasonic. It's the only way to source enough batteries to make BEVs at scale. Unless you've got a Gigafactory in your pocket, you're only playing around. Hyundai/Kia would probably be winning at electric cars today if they had their own Gigafactory.

[@allisterbullock213]

Here is where the Chinese manufacturers will only be too glad to step into the arena and take the European manufacturers lunch, and it will serve them right if they don't get a grip soon. The MG ZS EV being the prime example, also an ICE based car with an electric drive train but far cheaper than these PSA group cars and yes it has the five star safety rating. Given a year or two refinement for charging and App. support why would you pay more?

[@YourLocalGP]

"Performance is very very...more than adequate". Glowing stuff.

[@dougowt]

Its bloody quick in Sport mode but Robert is too accustomed to EV performance to realise ICE'd cars are so slow by comparison. Great one-pedal driving when you pull the 'gear-selector' back again while in drive, to give extra regen. Sadly agree with the price tag, although if it was £2-3000 more than the ICE'd version, you would soon get that back.

[@knifeyonline]

@@dougowt lol yeah remember before EV's "Wow that new sports car can do

[@fwqkaw]

@@knifeyonline Years ago my arse tearing MGB -11s

[@luispinheirodosmontes7219]

Great question you've raised there Robert, about the car being overpriced to hold back sales. I'm no expert in economics but you might have got it spot on.

[@rcclassicsuk9899]

I was interested until Robert told us the price. Dear oh dear, when are these manufacturers going to learn! 😔

[@MrGonzonator]

I've seen dealers selling the Elite for £24k

[@davenz000]

It costs more because it competes with ICE cars and all the future service revenue, sales of parts and labour.

[@tcfs]

This is why Tesla will win in a long run. They won't balance the product portfolio to protect their old ICE business. They are ramping the production up, rush the market and cash-in the profit.

[@felixmarseille6905]

Yeah, most manufacturers sell cars at breakeven or loss and make their money on service and parts.

[@bubba842]

@@felixmarseille6905 not in North America pal. An SUV or pick up truck is so overpriced it's pathetic. Even if they come down $10000 they are still ripping you off. And then as they make a ton of money off you they act like they are doing you a favor.

[@baconbuttties]

They must be adding lost revenue from servicing and parts of ICE cars to the cost of the electric version and then a little bit more added as not to sell to many. This way of selling electric cars can only last so long before mass adoption means that they will have to compete to sell as many as possible which will hopefully bring a price war with other manufacturers.

[@tedgray489]

Glad to see that other viewers had the same idea about making up for the "lost" income from ongoing service.

[@michaeltwomey9751]

A well as the Corsa e, the e208, e2008, DS 3 e-Tense, and Mokka e share that platform. There are supposed to be cost-sharing benefits, economies of scale. That’s not reflected in the price. You may be right Robert.

[@saddle1940]

Sell me an electric car with no batteries. Sell me standard battery packs that fit multiple manufacturers cars. Let me choose, 10km, 50km, 100km....300km ranges as I can afford it. We need the AA version of electric car batteries.

[@slanahesh]

That will never ever happen. Sorry dude. For the exact same reason the phone industry ditched removable batteries, the casing and the connectors needed to do a battery swap add size and weight which reduces the max available battery capacity and range of the car. Also the AA version is either a big battery in a trailer, a diesel/ petrol generator or perhaps one day a hydrogen fuel cell that they will plug into your "empty" electric car to give you enough range to get to the nearest fast charger.

[@global_nomad.]

@@slanahesh I think the other aspect is that manufacturers should be obliged to make make the batteries upgradeable at a service centre. So you buy a car knowing that in a couple of years you can get the same range in half the weight or twice the range with a replacement battery. old batteries get re-purposed for buildings

[@slanahesh]

@@global_nomad. to me that's no different than saying you should be able to take your ice car in to a dealership every couple of years and upgrade your engine to get better feul economy. These batteries aren't just plugged in like AAs in your TV remote. They have complex power and temperature management systems and in some cars the housing even plays a role in the structural integrity of the cars frame so it's not just as simple as " swap out the battery"

[@saddle1940]

@@slanahesh I don't think so. I've just watched a Nissan leaf get a new battery pack that is the same size and shape, but much-extended capacity. It took one guy not much time or tools, and it was a Nissan sponsored change. It just needs a standard to be set for battery shape, connections and communications to make this work. Someone (I'm imagining in the far east) needs to put the foot down now. PCs are really standardized because the Taiwanese gov bought (paid for) a standard design that was handed out to anyone willing to build them there and they did. Because of that, I can now rely on lower costs because I am not stuck with one manufacturer of parts that can be assembled to make stock standard PCs. It just needs someone to go, this shape, this connection is mandatory for XYZ subsidy.

[@saddle1940]

@@slanahesh Why not be able to do that? For over 20 years 1960s to 1980s, in Oz, I could fit any Holden engine or gearbox into any Holden car made, nothing special to be done. 6 cylinder 149, 161, 179, 186, 202, V8 253. We are only taught that it cannot be done because the designs are supposed to be one-offs with you throwing it away and getting another completely new one. I'm currently writing this on a PC built in 2009 which has had several progressive upgrades since then. Works just fine.

[@paulmichaelfreedman8334]

Manufacturers don't really WANT to make electric cars. They're less profitable, period. The people in charge of these huge companies are there for a reason, and it's not the environment. And they have to earn back the R&D that's gone into the ICE tech.

[@presterjohn71]

I really quite enjoy the naive charm of a reviewer knowing almost nothing about cars. It gives a fresh perspective from the "experts" and you often pick up on things that they miss or that only interest average non-tech consumers.

[@undead890]

From what I can tell, there are a few reasons why EVs are more expensive than ICE vehicles still. First off, the cost of a battery per kwh is still a little high. Robert mentioned that it's around $150/kwh, but you have to remember, that is the cost to build, not the retail price. More likely, the price is closer to $200-$225/kwh, which is £8,135 at minimum. Next, you have all of the revenue that ICE vehicles produce over their lifetime between oil changes, air filter changes, mechanical issues, etc. that you don't get from EVs. The only maintenance that occurs more on EVs than ICE vehicles is tire wear. All said, an EV has about half the operating cost of an ICE, and the majority of that comes from little to no maintenance. That's lost revenue for both the dealership and the company that produces the EV, so they have to make that revenue up by increasing the initial cost of the car. Next as well, range is still an issue with EVs, though much less of an issue than it was 10 years ago. At least in America and Canada, people want that 300+ miles of range at $20-$25k price point for that one time they might take it on a road trip. Granted, there are legitimately people that do regularly drive very far in a day on a regular basis where an EV wouldn't work yet, but that is the vast minority of people. For the most part, you can just rent a gas car if you really want to do a road trip and have that EV as your normal commuter car, but for some reason, people are afraid they will run out of charge on their 30 mile commute in a car that goes 250 miles on a charge. I don't get it, but it is a concern people have. On top of that are dealerships (or stealerships, depending on your opinion of them). In the vast majority of America and Canada, they don't even sell EVs in their lot, or they might have 1-2 at most. Can't really sell cars you don't have and don't plan on producing. Then, you have the dealers that either don't know anything about EVs or they outright try and steer you away from them all together. I experienced this with my Hyundai Ioniq Electric. The salesman was actually a pretty chill guy, not a normal pushy salesman that you find at most car lots, but even he tried to push me towards the hybrid, though part of that was because they didn't have the Ioniq Electric I was buying on their lot, so it was more an attempt to get me to buy a car that day, rather than wait for the one I wanted to be shipped in from across the state. In any case, there have been horror stories where people are almost bullied into buying an ICE vehicle from a lot instead of an EV, and that kind of attitude is not going to push people towards buying EVs in the long run. Because of that, you get lower sales, and in order to make up for lower sales, you have to sell the vehicle at a higher price.

[@waynerussell6401]

Tesla is below $100kWh. CATL LiFe long life, fire resistant packs for the China Model 3 SR are $80kWh ($60kWh cells) as reported by Reuters. Extra 10% for million mile packs.

[@douglasdepirro8364]

You are completely right about the dealerships almost fiercely trying to steer you away from electric cars. I had a really nice salesman that at a Chevy dealership and he had only 2 Chevy bolt evs on his lot and kept telling me how he drives and that it wouldn't work for him. I agree in Indiana the charging network is way behind in most outlying areas but in bigger cities it is ok. But like you said it's mainly for commuting and runabout type driving and take long trips in a gas car. The prices should be more on par.

[@sjwright2]

It's also because batteries are still supply constrained. If PSA can only source enough batteries to make N-thousand electric cars in 2020, they'll make those N-thousand electric cars and sell them at whatever price results in N-thousand sales. They _could_ sell them for a "reasonable" price, but then they'd sell out of the year's production capacity in a few hours, make far less money, and have nothing to sell anyone for 364 days of the year. This is why Tesla built their own battery factory with the help of Panasonic. It's the only way to source enough batteries to make BEVs at scale. Unless you've got a Gigafactory in your pocket, you're only playing around. Hyundai/Kia would probably be winning at electric cars today if they had their own Gigafactory.

[@jimlambrick4642]

Glad to see the old Vauxhall name still around. Way out here on vancouver island, my father bought a brand new 1956 Vauxhall Velox. And it was about the same size as this version including the back seat. But no seatbelts, stick shift, and a choke. Had the 'Extra power engine option" all of 67 HP !! Had to use premium gas. It ended up being my first car as i bought it from dad for $500 when I was 16... a lot of money in 1962

[@jenkinseric2]

I was bothered by Robert saying "less parts" if you can count the things you use fewer. Fewer parts result in less stress.

[@R08Tam]

Yes, he would have had John Humphrys grinding his teeth

[@alanjrobertson]

Great to see a return to normality for Fully Charged reviews! Love what you've done with the KZbin timeline having different sections labelled! Totally agree re battery price and them wanting to avoid cannibalising ICE sales.

[@yt_Ajay_]

I like blues that shout "BLUE!!!" in my face

[@watcher24601]

Nice to see a review that covers that safety features, driver display and internal dimensions such as boot size and the details of why you think it is so poor compared to the 208. If only all car reviewers had Robert's depth of knowledge and experience.

[@global_nomad.]

its not the only thing that has expanded over the years....

[@achenarmyst2156]

😂 How does he manage on a vet diet? 🤔

[@Muskar2]

@@achenarmyst2156 Easy. Alcohol, sugar, biscuits, fries and other processed foods can do that no problem. Never heard the term "junk vegan" before? I suppose it's a lifestyle where you look out for everyone else but yourself.

[@regsparkes6507]

Vauxhall,..ahhh that brings back childhood memories of my Father's Velox, ( 1959 ) and my Mother's Victor, same year. As I live in Canada I have very little chance of owning one of these Corsa's today,..but I'd like to. Thank you, for bringing this video to me today, Robert!

[@transportevolved]

186 miles Robert? I bet I could do 220 ;) *Nikki*

[@kevinisaac9139]

you are absolutly bang on Robert if they brought the prices down it would encourage more people to buy more electric cars

[@wholmes7177]

High initial cost as they won't get all the dealer service cost you pay for an ICE.

[@TJMack-]

Thing is, they rip you off then as well. Go look at EVM(?) on youtube and he has numerous rants on how a basic service of an EV is like £100 for basically refilling your screenwashers cos there's bugger all else for them to do on EVs

[@vagos696]

The answer for the pricing decision is simple, 1) they calculate the ICE equivalent service costs over the car's lifetime and they add it up to the initial purchase cost 2) VAG Group/German automotive industry deters your from purchasing the EV vs its ICE brother.

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

Has to be something like that. The petrol equivalent is about £16k. Minus £4k for the engine and gear box leaves a £12k 'shell'. Add on £6k for the batteries and motor and you have £18k, not £30k. Something's amiss.

[@ianmearsphoto]

Yes, probably something to do with the many years required to design it and build a new electric system etc. It’s more than just dropping a battery in. How about a new drive train? Then it has the health and safety stuff to meet which is different for a car with a huge chunk of electric energy in it. Lots of different costs to deal with.

[@TheGramophoneGirl]

@@ianmearsphoto which would make sense if other companies were the same, but some are not.

[@allisterbullock213]

But some of the units used in the charging, inverting and drive-train are certainly off-the shelf from a third party supplier (possibly even based in China).

[@GrrMeister]

10:38 *Virtually DOUBLE the price of Petrol Version - Crazy*

[@hometechUK]

The Corsa E is the first electric car I would ACTUALLY buy, it looks normal but is a hatchback & has great range, I just wish it was around £19,000.

[@steffenjachnow8176]

I just happened today to sign the contract for one of these cars (Opel, of course, since I'm from Germany). My electric mobility experience is about to start in the very near future and I'm excited like I just bought my first very own car (which actually occurred 23 years ago). It seems the sticker price for this car is a bit lower in good old Germany.

[@MichaelGreenLagos]

Is that because of Brexit don't worry tesla is also building a factory in the uk in Bristol Elon flow over in is private jet to take a look and how much did you pay for your new ev corsa

[@steffenjachnow8176]

@@MichaelGreenLagos It will cost me 24,500 € after incentives for the middle trim level (there are three available in Germany) with some extras.

[@allisterbullock213]

I've seen the German configurator for both this and the e208, the upper price is close to 39K Euro iirc, that means all of the 3-phase charging, various charger cables, LED headlight, driver assistance, navigation and sun roof stuff... in the basic colour and 16" wheels for better-efficiency/less-road-noise. Definitely not so cheap, after incentives 6K? it may drop closer to 33K EUR. The autumn release of the MG ZS EV in Germany will likely be a whole lot cheaper.

[@steffenjachnow8176]

​@@allisterbullock213 The current incentives are 3,000 € by the manufacturer and 6,000 € by the government. I rather wanted to buy a VW ID.3 base model or the upcoming all-electric Skoda SUV but ended up buying the Corsa because I recently wrecked my 12-year-old car and was in need of a quickly available alternative. The Corsa is a good compromise for me. The only downside is the lack of trunk space, but it's manageable for me. My Corsa has the middle trim (home charging cable is included in all trims) with LED headlight, heated seats and steering wheel, and parking assist. I would have taken 3-phase charging but I had to take a car that was in stock. Otherwise, I would have to wait until the end of this year at least. But I don't really need 3-phase charging and I don't need no sunroof or build-in navigation (the car has android auto) for sure.

[@allisterbullock213]

@@steffenjachnow8176 Sounds very nice and I'm certain you will love it, every car has minor annoyances as no car is perfect. The 3K by the manufacturer is that only for Opel or would you happen to know if it is also for the Pug-e208? My wife and I are also considering this (or the sibling e208) as a second car/EV but my wife has had Opels before so that is the way she is leaning for now.

[@zsoltjasper]

EV experts living in our country (Hungary) often ask the same question. The answers can usually be divided into two parts: - car manufacturers want to make the highest possible profit from new technology - traditional car factories are very afraid that almost anyone can produce EVs, so with artificially high prices and low production capacity, they are trying to delay the transition in time. Of course, there might not even be anything malicious about it, and they were simply too big and noticed too late that they should have dealt with this new technology and could only get batteries from a few old bad contracts.

[@biggles50405]

Nice looking car, could sell by the thousands like any Corsa before. I think why electric cars from traditional manufacturers are so expensive is to recoup the cost of building so many ICE engines and power trains. That's why Tesla motors are relatively cheap for what you get, that (and low wages and working conditions) is also why Chinese manufacturers can produce an electric city car for £9000. All the current Car makers could sell you an electric city car tomorrow for £14000 easily but they won't.

[@dmomcilovic9185]

China wages = £400 a month, E.U Minimum wages, taxes etc.. are higher, dealers pay extortionate business rates etc..

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

I wonder if Teslas will become cheaper once the German factory opens!?

[@johugra1]

I agree with you Keith. It is a very short term management policy. In the long run better to keep in the game so you have some revenue coming in than watch the entire market go to China.

[@JehanKateli]

Model 3 costs £10,000 more than the e-Corsa, despite similar battery capacity.

[@paulcox4369]

Mm l am not sure the word cheap & Tesla belong in the same sentence, even if the word relative is used as well!

[@macjim]

I totally agree with you Robbie, why are electric cars, especially ones based on ICE cars, cost so much. That's why many can't afford to buy an electric car... It's still too expensive for many and should be less so.

[@buixote]

So what the "range remaining" gauge needs to say is "answer unclear, ask later".

[@FudgeMonkeySmurf]

As a case in point: I bought my 93 amp hour (33Kwh) 2017 BMW i3 REX for £27500 after the government grant and the then generous dealer contribution of £3000. It was a 0% finance deal for 2 years at £299 per month which was less than I was paying in fuel costs to go to and from work at the time. 80% of the reason why I bought it was purely based on it making total financial sense. That Corsa should be less than 15 grand.

[@MadnessQuotient]

I think there is still some thinking that an electric car is a luxury in and of itself, or that the long term economics of it warrants the higher price.

[@JeanPierreWhite]

I agree with you Robert. We are all paying an EV tax to buy EV's nowadays. You summarized the car very succinctly, "it's not wibbly wobbly"

[@bodgerbill3]

Great video, but oh we do so miss the precision of Johny Smith.

[@GLP_Aquatics]

You know Car pervert isn’t just EV unfortunately

[@Lex52]

No we don't

[@allisterbullock213]

yes, where is Rory for this car review, I thought he was the new expert.

[@sargfowler9603]

To back up the argument, I'd like to see a breakdown of costs for ICE and electric versions of this car. At £7000 just for the battery alone and excluding the cost of the motor/gearbox, I'm sure an ICE would cost a lot less to manufacture. But I recall an earlier video where they lauded the simplicity/cheapness of this design and how they can produce ICE or electric versions on the same line as they are very similar underneath. Also, the price is £27,665 on the road.

[@adamlytle2615]

If I'm giving these companies the benefit of the doubt, I'd say that the high cost of the cars is probably a reflection of the R&D costs that went into them, coupled with the relatively low production numbers. HOWEVER, given that they've profited enormously for decades and decades from selling ICE cars that have helped wreak havoc on the climate and environment, it is past time they started eating some of these costs to speed the transition to electric.

[@mcfrosty8739]

That would be my theory but then R&D shouldn't really be that much. They'll only be buying parts off a shelf and fitting them together like they would with a normal ICE car. Maybe some more testing and it the development might be a bit longer because of the techs having to learn the new technology but I can't really see R&D being all that much. Also when you start increasing the price, you're then selling to different types of people. £30k and now you're in, for example, Audi A3 territory and people who buy cars like that won't be wanting a little electric Corsa. So, imo, you're then causing the people who might go for the petrol version or a low 20k car to stretch and buy this.

[@gwal93]

Dad worked at Vauxhall for 40+ years and he started as an apprentice when he was 15 just before World War II broke out. He joined the Fleet Airarm where he worked as an engineer on Marine Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft (and others) and then in 1945 returned to Vauxhall. Vauxhall was founded in 1857, started making cars in 1903 and moved it’s production to Luton in 1905. Vauxhall has resisted making an electric vehicle or even a hybrid while others like Toyota who made the hybrid Prius in October 1997 too market lead along with Nissan (Leaf). Vauxhall tried with the hybrid Ampera in 2012 but must be considered a failure, I don't think GM's heart was in electric vehicles at all, they were in denial until Tesla showed them the way. Since it was purchased from GM by PSA it has suffered from Corona virus and if we leave the EU on Dec 31st without a free trade deal then I expect PSA to close the Vauxhall plants in the UK and abandon the Vauxhall brand as the brand only has a market in the UK as far as I know. The Van side of the business might continue but probably under the PSA brands.

[@CarterTristan]

Although I live the review it’s the same story each time... a super mini that costs 30k with no real reality of really ever getting payback against an ice model. My work colleague this very day picked up a 320i estate shadow edition, on a 69 plate... for 19k.. with warranty, great spec and lots of space...

[@CarterTristan]

Bruno Lazaro that’s true, not a great example... but as you own a Renault then I just looked on autotrader and a brand new Clio, unregistered TCE 0.9 is on sale at Renault Exeter for 12,042... so that’s a 7k saving on your Zoe.. and if I phoned them and paid cash that would come down a bit more... it will be cheap, reliable, the range is essentially until the next service, so how do I make that 7k plus back doing average mileage a year? Until ev pricing comes into line with ICE then I’m struggling to work out how it makes economic sense...

[@harveytheparaglidingchaser7039]

@@CarterTristan think about it, save £500 a year on petrol and £200 on servicing in 10 years that's £7000

[@unclezeppy]

A car engineer (body manufacturing) told me how they had to make a decision between a real ground-up EV design compared to fitting electric drive and batteries to existing body design. Both designs actually cost about the same but they had to pick the ICE/EV combination platform because the ICE cars were the ones that brought home the bacon. He showed me the comparision drawings and what was a surprise was that the EV platform actually moved the car from compact to mid size. The windshield was moved about 20-25cm more forward, the front seat about the same and the back seat about 15cm. More leg space, more head space, more trunk space. Everything inside the dashboard was moved forward too and the dash was much simpler. He said the next EV version will have its own body design because the ICE based is way too expensive to made, it's actually a hand made kit car. The EV skate board can be made so that it's basically a self contained and can be driven around after fitting a steering column or drive by (wireless) wire. So the body will only carry windshield washer fluid and headlights, and have a hook up for the cabin heating/cooling system. Therefore this Vauxhall is also a place holder model up till the real EV will arrive and now is a bit expensive.

[@benjisplat2]

Good to see good ol' white-van man living up the stereotype with some tasty tailgating 8:13

[@Muppetkeeper]

It’s probably the first time white van man has driven below 70mph in four months.

[@bentaprop]

Market price is based on what they can get for the car at a certain production volume. Production Cost is a verification of profitability. It took me a long time to get over confusing Market Price and Production Cost.

[@jambojambo313]

Haha, for a sec my wife thought you were wearing gloves so you wouldn't get an electric shock. :-)

[@greaney123]

I’ve only driven the petrol version but I’d imagine it would be the same here. You can scroll through the centre gauge by rotating a bit on the indicator stalk to get to the trip computer, etc. Great video as per tho

[@JeanPierreWhite]

Not having a 3-pin plug is a problem for the new owner who maybe waiting for their home charging station to be installed, or if the home charging station went kaput. Also when visiting granny a 3-pin plug might be a handy way to make the return journey without having to stop for quick splash and dash.

[@snowstrobe]

Agreed. I think it's a bit premature.

[@allisterbullock213]

The Opel version in Germany has an optional discounted JuiceBooster2 with the appropriate home-plug adapter (among others), much better than a wall box imho because you can use it as a wall box with a lockable wall-bracket. I can't understand why Vauxhall UK doesn't offer this already together with an offer to fit a high-current blue camping-site plug to your home, much more practical.

[@90albert0]

Petrol enthusiast here. Robert is right, all of the other ICE Corsa are pants. The petrol is slow and the diesel is heavy. Not talking VXR. I think this would be a fantastic car for everyone, especially when you buy it second hand.

[@stuartwhittaker1105]

i agree with your supposition, overpriced to retain sales in older petrol/diesel cars 👍

[@robertdietz1732]

Remember that electric cars require much less maintenance. This would greatly hurt dealerships as the majority of their income comes from repairs. That cost needs to be offset.

[@drfisheye]

In the Netherlands the Corsa 'Edition' is € 18000. The Corsa 'e-Edition' is € 29000. Cost of a battery in 2019 is € 156 * 52kwh = € 8112. Including 21% tax it's € 9815. Which makes the e edition about € 1000 more expensive than the regular version. So the difference isn't that big actually.

[@justinstephenson9360]

As with the Tesla Model 3 there is a consistent theme in that manufacturers are all over-pricing the EV by about £5,000. You can buy an ICE Corsa for about £18-19,000, so an EV version should be priced at about £24,000.

[@SaffyMirza]

Great review, had me doing mental maths at the beginning too. Nice car but price is ludicrous. Second hand Tesla model S with 330 miles of range is £31K. Then there is the MG ZS with 150 mile range for £20K. Vauxhall are going to have a tough time selling at this price point.

[@TattooTesters]

Bravo sir, about time someone addressed the overpricing of EV

[@jcfallows]

Good review Robert, it was comforting to see you have put on a bit of packing like me over the lockdown! Can you do a review of a gray water system, not sure if you have one at home, you look to have a large roof area to collect the rain, which can save up to 40% off your water bill when used for flushing toilets and filling washing machine etc. Also can you review the new electric combo boiler from fischer please, and would it be worth putting in a sunamp battery or two, in series with it. Love all the new presenters!

[@mralistair737]

That fischer boiler is just an overgrown electric shower. if you are going to electric hot water systems you really should be looking at heat-pump based systems which will give 3x the amount of heat energy per unit of electrical energy. MAYBE if you have a huge excess of solar power it would make sense, (though this has no storage so you'd have to be using it while it was sunny) but then you could just install less solar and the heat-pump for similar investment. They are moving away from gas boilers, but I still don't think you would be allowed to install these in a new-build without a lot of compensatory measures (eg solar, super insulation etc) Grey water systems aren't really an energy issue, but can work if you have enough roof. but the installation, certification and maintenance is unlikely to save you a ton. (and I don't think you can use them in washing machines, just flushing toilets, watering plants, etc)

[@dougowt]

@@mralistair737 Agree regarding the heat pumps etc but I think fully charged looking at these options and rainwater harvesting would help increase interest in these options. The energy cost of cleaning and pumping drinking water that you then flush your toilet with is unnecessary

[@paulday8676]

You hit the nail on the head when you say it's too expensive. As I kept my previous car for 10 years, leasing or PCP doesn't appeal to me. I have pledged to go electric with my next purchase, but the concensus is that prices will fall to match piston engined cars by the mid-2020's. Buying new at this time looks to me like a bad move if new prices will fall, and surely residuals will suffer once supply increases. What will the £30K Corsa be worth in 5 years time? The car industry is obviously in a bad way at present. I'm ready to buy an EV now, but they're not going to see any of my cash until prices reduce significantly.

[@andreasryf]

My theory: Coming late to the party, there is no way they could get enough batteries for large scale production. Not even when throwing money at it. All battery manufacturers are booked out for months, possibly years. So if you anyway can't produce many, why sell them cheap?

[@verygoodbrother]

If someone else comes along and makes an EV that is equivalent/better than the eCorsa and for less, then they won't sell their expensive cars. Battery supply is their fault because they are not forward thinking and still put ICE as a priority. If they are serious about EV they would make sure they had battery supply like Tesla.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Thanks for reviewing the VowHaal Car. I have only seen some of those funny things when people with Yellow plates and people driving on the wrong side show up around here. I have seen some of the Owepall versions, back when they still made an electric version. We had a garage and I was surprised that the mechanic gave straightforward information and didn't diss the EV even though they didn't carry it in our town. Progress.

[@BillyNoMates1974]

good review but way too expensive for the market intended

[@mgmarrison]

Thanks Robert. I might be a little biased as a Vauxhall owner currently, but I actually prefer the Corsa’s looks (controversial, I know!). You’re spot on regarding the theory around cost, It’s too expensive for what it is.

[@alunjones2550]

Are they charging (no pun intended) more for electric cars because: a) There is still a perceived "premium" appeal to having an electric car, which is no doubt a legacy from when Tesla started things off, and the positive image it created. b) If they charged less, too many people would opt for electric rather than ICE and they have neither the facilities to produce enough batteries or electric cars yet. I think you're completely right with your conspiracy theory, although I can understand that you can't change ICE focused factories to electric overnight. c) There aren't enough players in the market yet to force competitive pricing. What do other people think?

[@yev6683]

Agree with all 3 points and would add D) They are only doing this for the regulatory credits.

[@DavidKnowles0]

That would explain the price difference of a few ground, but their a 13k difference in some markers. The reeks of Vauxhall not being that interested in the electric car market and hoping it magically goes away.

[@YourLocalGP]

Investment in the design of in traditional engines over the last decade or so rose significantly compared to the past, mainly driven by emissions regulations. One side-effect is the amortization of those designs happens over a longer period. Companies like GM still need to make money from thier higher-margin, high-volume ICE vehicles, and need to avoid cannibalizing their own business.

[@allisterbullock213]

@@yev6683 Good point, Tesla makes hundreds of millions selling their credits to ICE manufacturers.

[@bobeden5027]

as an engineer that worked in automotive research I would love to see under the bonnet.

[@DogsBAwesome]

My corsa-e will be here will be here within a month and I didn't pay >£25000 for it. You are correct they are still overpriced. On the free wallbox, podpoint have fu#%ed me off as my parking is behind my house and my power is in the front room and they would have to go up to the loft then to the back and that's too hard apparently.

[@huwdavies6650]

I think possibly the issue with podpoint is that with the free fitting arrangement, you only get 10 metres of cable, any extra you would be charged for, also they are only willing to drill through a wall of a certain thickness and they don't want to disturb the fabric of the building excessively. If you were paying an installer yourself minus the government grant, then that installer will be able to do anything that is needed to install the wallbox provided that it's on your property.

[@PaulMansfield]

get a regular sparky to run a high current cable from your mains panel through to the intended charging point and fit a 32A "commando" plug. then get an Ohme cable via the Octopus discount scheme which converts to the type 2 connector and gives you the smart charging/agile pricing/Go tariff.

[@DogsBAwesome]

@@PaulMansfield Thanks for the tip I've ordered that

[@foolcellsorryfuelcellmirag4835]

Good point Robert. I wish there was a independent investigation on price of batteries and why electric cars are still way more expensive than petrol or diesel cars?

[@0neBadMonkey]

Sigh... if I could afford £30K I would save a little longer and get a model 3. I dream of an affordable EV suitable for a family.

[@bernardfender5147]

In 2years or less the market will be filled with Chinese family cars costing half that of this Corsa

[@snowstrobe]

Exactly.

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

Why not lease instead of buy? It's not like you're buying an appreciating asset.

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

I'd love to have the use of model 3, but I don't want to lay out £40k for one seeing as I only do 7-8,000 miles per year. Imagine how many other experiences can be bought with £40k+

[@AdrianMcDaid]

Dont forgett the SR Tesla mite get 200 miles of range on good day.

[@jasondavis545]

Good piece Robert especially when you put up the cost of the battery. I actually think that 90% of the car manufacturers are doing the same thing and this even includes Hyundai and Kia and they have upped their prices too. The 38kw Ioniq Premium SE is almost £34 K !!!! The Kona is almost 40k this also is not value for money now.

[@ys282]

How can you sell a basic electric car for more then a petrol one? They have to start making cars priced under £20K for the masses. No frills just a basic car you can drive yourself.

[@sjwright2]

Petrol engines are cheap to make, there's a thousand factories making them out of entirely cheap commodity materials. Petrol cars can leech off that engine for cabin heating and the air conditioner. Yes, they require lots of unnecessary parts like radiators, exhaust, engine oil, alternator, etc. But those are all cheap, and once you look at all the parts required to make any car regardless of propulsion (seatbelts, air vents, left indicator light bulb, door locks, windscreen wiper fluid pumps, parking sensors, literally thousands of individual parts) the BEV only saves a few bulky ones and adds on a few other bulky ones.

[@balexalex]

Robert Llewellyn, simultaneously the most modest guy ever and the most awesome

[@RichardFanders]

Economies of scale make it expensive.

[@rogerstarkey5390]

It's the same car as the Peugeot and Citroen and shares the floorplan and drivetrain with other variants of all 3, so plenty of economy of scale..... Eventually.

[@SMGJohn]

Oh but somehow Volkswagen managed to make the eGolf cheaper than the regular Golf, huh funny how that fucking works.

[@drfisheye]

@@SMGJohn The eGolf is much more expensive than the regular Golf. And has a 33% smaller battery.

[@tomraymond9795]

To run an EV confidently in the UK for my needs (regular 300 mile motorway roundtrips) I would need a Tesla. In China most Cities and main routes have standardised charge points and new non elec reg plates have a £10K equiv surcharge, leading them to be the most advanced nation today in terms of mass adoption. Chinese EVs are actually starting to look pretty decent too although not sure how they'd do in Euro collision safety tests, traditionally a poor area for Chinese vehicles. The rest of the world need this same standardised charge network to bring EV to the masses. If it was made law, it could be accelerated and potentially the Tesla network would be the best place to start. Have this network available for other vehicles to use and have other manafacturers rent capacity from Tesla initially until they're contributing enough to network expansion. This is where competition and capitalism has some downsides as cooperation and pooling of knowledge and resources would hugely speed up adoption. Obvs, competing brings it's own development benefits so not preaching social doctrine but in the same way as all non apple phones moved to Micro USB chargers due to EU law, the same legislation approach could force an EV charging fix and sort this mess out. It would happen too if the German manafacturers where ready to mass produce EVs but as they're not, this legislation won't happen as it would screw the Eurozone economy.

[@simpleasliam657]

I wish I had a stack of a couple million I would buy Swindon when Honda leave and develop a cheap car based on the structure of the Civic and release a cheap electric car.

[@onlineo2263]

You might get Swindon plant for a couple of million... But an affordable EV is going to cost you a couple of Billions in development.

[@knowledgebyte]

Your right in that the manufacturers don't want to sell e-cars. Hence they price them out of the market. But there is another caveat that most people don't know about. When you buy a car, it comes bound with a warranty pot and that pot is used by the dealers to help offset service, warranty and repair costs. The pot is about £3-4K; perhaps more dependent on the car. So when you buy an e-car, you are buying a car that has virtually NO servicing, maintenance and very little in the way of parts that will fail and hence low warranty costs. So they price those into the overall cost of the car, which you have to pick up, as they know they are highly unlikely to be seeing you, or tapping you for any maintenance and servicing costs as these things run like proverbial Swiss-watches and never let up. I've had an e-golf now for almost two years. It has never given me a whiff of a problem; costs virtually zero to run, as I get free electricity all over the place. The only thing I swapped was a burst tyre. The car can do Hereford and back with about 40 miles left from Cirencester town. It's now getting a free charge before its next run. It goes like a steam-train and I can regularly get 4.3-5.1 miles per KwH in the summer months. I've just driven a 52KwH Renault Zoe for a week and that little wonder can easily do circa 220 miles at about 4.7 KwH. All these e-cars are so much better than their f-cars (fire). I've driven all manner of fast cars over the years and eco cars. The little e-golf just leaves most sports hatches for dust. Watching people look in shock as you watch their faces in the mirror as you pull away is funny. They just don't expect an electric car to outpace them.

[@taxirob1297]

HOW MUCH????? I’ll leave it thanks

[@willswomble7274]

Me too, and get a new BMW 1 !

[@jaybenny7719]

Good to see a good ol car review 👍

[@g9icy]

It's priced to be bought on PCP.

[@maxnewts]

g9icy careful how you say that 😂

[@ronaldusher39]

When vauxhall said they were building this car they said it would be comparable to their ICE versions! Just goes to show

[@channul4887]

1:06 The Oh-pelle? What the f is ohpelle?

[@darren8453]

We were incredibly tempted by the Corsa-e as a second car now that my partner needs it for work. But it was just too bloody expensive! So I totally concur with this assessment. Based on the petrol car alone, the cost differential is around £10,000. Which as Robert rightly points out has nothing to do with the batteries. Our options for other electrics were limited; we needed a car as soon as possible so that she could get back to working in the NHS and stop having to compress her office hours in order to do school and nursery runs with our other car. Vauxhall were the only dealership who made any effort to recognise our need. We unfortunately had to opt for a 2-year hire for the petrol equivalent in order to try and keep our options open - we may expand our family in that time - and to give us a way to save up and go electric in the near-ish future.

[@robertmandl9326]

While I agree that the purchase price is rather high it is only half of the equation. The other half are running costs... from insurance to maintenance to power. Factoring all that in the full picture changes dramatically.

[@darren8453]

@@robertmandl9326 for our needs - this was a lease for work - it worked out around £150 a month more expensive for the contract. There's no way the petrol car will cost £3600 more in fuel and servicing over the two years we will have it. Hence my frustration.

[@Mireaze]

The reason why the range is all wonky is because this car is over 100% efficient. Obviously

[@FritzSchober]

Bernoulli is turning into a perpetuum mobile in his grave.

[@zunzea]

There is no such thing my friend

[@rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr]

I for one don't understand the complaints with the cost (other than that EVs in general are pricy, yes, sadly). It's the cheapest 50 kWh-battery car available that can charge 100 kW DC, which is the minimum you need to be able to do road trips with an EV. Even the Zoe is more expensive, and that can charge at only half the speed.

[@TheJociman]

6:43

[@czcz5149]

“Whadgdevedeghhhhh”

[@snowstrobe]

@@czcz5149 Yes.

[@Rocketboy-qg6ts]

Great vid 👍 Car manufacturers and car dealerships will fight tooth and nail to protect their servicing costs as well. I’ve not needed a single service since purchasing my Tesla model 3.

[@GeordiLaForgery]

VW want close to £50k for a ID with sunroof. Electric prices are mad.

[@user-jt1jv8vl9r]

'New' tech always comes at a premium until economies of scale and cheaper manufacturing methods come in.

[@tommihommi1]

It's as if they want Tesla to sell more Model 3s

[@GeordiLaForgery]

@Bas Finnis Yeah they've taken us all for a ride.

[@demantim]

Appreciate the visual accentuation of the BLUEEE! =)

[@eatbachelorchow]

Wouldn’t want to buy a car with such an unreliable range meter

[@solentbum]

@M J Smith My LEAF averaged 4.2 over the past 29000 miles. That's down to my driving style. Most journos are only interested in 0-60, etc. and should be ignored, esp. the one who didn't plug in his loan car then blamed the car for having a low battery. The 'guessometer' is standard on all EV's as it measures the previous usage to predict the future. With your own car you soon get reliable figures. At least this revue looked at the car for what it is, a no frills runabout. Would have liked a bit more about the onboard 'toys' for comparison purposes. (cruise control, parking assist, all round cameras, etc.)

[@stuartchaston6592]

My wife has the Corsa-e and the range stabilises when you drive it consistently. She gets about 180 - 190 miles range and mainly does dual carriageway driving..

[@mrglwatson]

David Miller I think it just reflects how you are driving the car. I guess a previous driver was just doing acceleration tests which has screwed up the range estimates. You could try the same in your own car and see how screwup the estimates are. After a while it will settle down and get more accurate

[@DavidKnowles0]

@@mrglwatson you think Vauxhall would do a quick resetting of the software to more standard settings before sending it out to the next reviewer.

[@steverees1936]

Totally agree with you to why electric cars are so expensive Robert. This is one reason why I don't own one, as I can't afford to buy one. Sad really as I would love one. It actually defeats the point of having an electric car in the first place which is to save you money on fuel etc.

[@dmomcilovic9185]

£29k today , depreciation in 3ys, buy it used for £5k

[@bernardfender5147]

French car depreciation!!!

[@waynehobbs5175]

Probably less the way cars depreciate in the UK.

[@bwarey52]

Have you taken a look at EV depreciation compared to ice cars?

[@bernardhilton3527]

You should be so lucky...

[@SardiPax]

I think a significant factor in the high prices of BEVs from big manufacturers could be that they anticipate much smaller margins from spares and repairs.

[@dmomcilovic9185]

With the main dealer system, and dreadful customer service NO THANKS

[@snowstrobe]

Yeah, they don't have a great rep.

[@ZesPak]

Is it really that much worse as anything else? I mean here on the continent it's all much of muchness. Thankfully with an EV you'd have to visit them less.

[@robhaitch5544]

I agree on the price being designed to protect ICE sales. We see this much more here in Australia, e.g. Audi asking >A$70k (~£40k) more for an e-tron than a decent Q5. You could buy a good Audi Q5 and Tesla Model 3 here for the price of the e-tron.

[@asdmcc2]

I just looked it up - a basic petrol engined Corsa is £16K. Even if you added the cost of a 50kWH battery at £7.5K that would be £23.5K, never mind the saved cost of the engine and drive train. So why isn't it that?

[@tobiasbauer198]

So actually the car isn't expansive it's priced perfectly, because the normal corsa with highest motorisation would be more expensive after all government subsidies (at lest in germany). If you conpare this car to a VW ID 3 the prize is also absolutely relatable. You are buying a more or less german quality car, if you want to buy an electric Hyundai go for it, but don't compare it to an Opel Corsa E.

[@peterthomson127]

Three things that are pushing up the sticker price: hedging for the number of batteries they will have to replace under warranty (a relatively unknown risk); replacing lost revenue from less servicing over life; recouping the development and tooling costs of the all-new drive train and manufacturing plant. These costs will fall as the volumes rise - as you say, the drivetrain is much less complex than an ICE.

[@AndreasP07]

He's 100% right, if they would make this car cheaper more people would buy it, i would definitely buy it, but i'm not gonna buy a 30k 'small' car, with that price i can buy bigger cars.