Vauxhall planning affordable £22,000 electric vehicle as British car giant backs EVs
The Vauxhall Astra Electric is one of the most popular EV models for the brand
VAUXHALL
Vauxhall could be planning to launch one of the cheapest small electric cars on the market to get more Britons behind the wheel of a zero emission vehicle.
The British brand may be preparing to bring out a cheaper entry-level electric car with a target price of just £22,000.
Many drivers across the UK have been calling for manufacturers to release cheaper electric cars with the intention of getting people to transition to an EV.
The vast majority of electric vehicles on the market currently cost more than £30,000 with most people citing this as the key barrier to entry.
Vauxhall’s current pure electric range includes the Corsa, Mokka, Astra, as well as electric vans including the Vivaro, Combo and Movano.
The Corsa starts from £32,445, while drivers will be paying £36,610 for the Mokka and £37,795 for the Astra.
Florian Huettl, CEO of Opel, said a city car “was possible” with further space in the Vauxhall range for a smaller model.
However, he would not confirm whether such a car had been in the design process, Autocar reported.
He added that the key to such a vehicle would be the development of new energy-dense batteries.
These would bring the upfront cost of the vehicle down, enhance the interior space and lower the weight of the vehicle.
Huettl said: “That is the goal. Our target for the next generation is €25,000 (£21,748) [for an EV].”
He continued, saying that cheaper electric cars were becoming a “big pull” for drivers wanting to make the switch to an EV.
Smaller electric cars are still more expensive than their petrol and diesel counterparts on account of the battery.
While battery technology is rapidly developing, manufacturers have not yet reached a point where urban vehicles would have a 300-mile range for under £30,000.
Toyota recently announced that solid-state batteries could be available as early as 2027, with a potential range of 750 miles.
While this would initially come at a price for the consumer, many experts are confident that electric cars will reach price parity with petrol and diesel vehicles before the end of the decade.
A growing number of brands are beginning to introduce new electric cars with a price point below £30,000.
The cheapest electric car on the market is just £7,695 for the Citroen Ami, although the microcar has just two seats, a top speed of 28mph and a range of 46 miles.
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The CEO of Opel refused to comment on whether a car had been designed
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A budget-friendly option for those seeking a standard passenger vehicle is the MG4 EV SE which costs just £26,995.