Opel will launch a full-electric version of the Astra in the spring of 2023, adding a fourth drivetrain option for the Stellantis brand’s compact hatchback and station wagon.
The Astra is currently available with gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
The Astra Electric (also available in right-hand-drive Vauxhall versions) is based on Stellantis’ EMP2 platform, along with its sibling model from Peugeot, the e-308. The two cars have the same 54 kilowatt-hour battery with a new chemistry that is 80 percent nickel, 10 percent manganese and 10 percent cobalt. Maximum range for the Astra is 416 km (259 miles).
Its electric motor, the result of a recent collaboration between Stellantis and Japanese company Nidec, has an output of 115 kilowatts, or 156 hp. Efficiency is 14.9 kWh per 100 km, according to WLTP certification, Opel says.
Opel has not announced prices for the Astra Electric. It is the brand’s third full-electric passenger car model in its current lineup, after the Corsa small car and Mokka small SUV. Opel’s passenger and commercial vans also have full-electric options. Opel aims to become an electric-only brand in Europe by 2028.