RUESSELSHEIM, Germany -- Opel will begin sales of a full-electric version of its Corsa small car in the first half of next year at a starting price of 29,900 euros in Germany.
Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller said customers will not get a "stripped, naked car" for the price, which is roughly identical to the price of the rival Renault Zoe.
The Corsa-e will have a range of 330 km (205 miles) under the Europe's WLTP test cycle and offer a 100-kW electric motor (134 hp) that can accelerate the vehicle from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 8.1 seconds. Its 50-kilowatt-hour battery can be charged by up to 80 percent of its capacity in 30 minutes.
The Corsa-e will be built at Opel's factory in Spain on the same assembly line as all other new-generation Corsas. Production will start early next year, Lohscheller told reporters at a press event at Opel's headquarters here on Tuesday.
Its 50-kilowatt-hour battery can be charged by up to 80 percent of its capacity in 30 minutes at an output of 100 kilowatts using a DC fast charger. Cells will be shipped from CATL in China and the pack itself completed on-site by Opel directly.
The car will be offered with a keyless start system, an electric park brake and a seven-inch touchscreen display compatible with AppleCarPlay and Android Auto
The Corsa-e will be offered with a keyless start system, an electric park brake and what Lohscheller said would be "probably the greatest amount of safety features in the segment." He cited a cruise control with intelligent speed adaptation and an automatic emergency city braking function.
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Opel said it is now taking orders for the Corsa-e and deliveries to dealers and customers are planned for next spring.
Lohscheller said a higher spec version with a fully digital cockpit, full LED highlights and 17-inch rims will cost 32,900 euros in Germany, or alternatively 299 euros a month for a leasing contract with a 4,200-euro down payment.
Positioned in between will be another version that starts at 30,650 euro, but no detail was provided as yet.
Opel did not disclose Corsa-e prices for all its markets. Vauxhall, Opel's UK sister brand, said the Vauxhall Corsa-e will start at 26,490 pounds (29,861 euros) including a 3,500 pounds government plug-in car grant.
The Corsa-e will compete with the Zoe and Nissan Leaf and eventually the three-door Mini E that is expected toward the end of this year.
The base Zoe with the shorter range starts at the same price in Germany when the 22-kWh battery is included in the purchase rather than rented from Renault. For the larger 41 kWh version, the car costs a minimum 34,100 euros.
Peugeot has not released prices for the e-208, the sister model to the Corsa-e. The e-208 is expected to start at around 31,000 euros. The e-208 will arrive in dealerships early next year.
Electric push
The Corsa is part of Opel's plans to offer a plug-in hybrid or battery-electric drivetrain for each of its models by 2024.
The first four will be on the market by next year. Besides the Corsa-e, the others will be a full-electric successor to the Mokka X crossover and an electric Vivaro light commercial van, along with the Grandland X plug-in SUV.
The Grandland X plug-in will be Opel's first plug-in hybrid and will be available in Germany to lease for 399 euros a month, Opel said.
The all-wheel drive SUV's drivetrain is a 200 hp, 1.6-liter gasoline engine combined with two 80 kW/109 hp electric motors and a 13.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. It can cover up to 52 km in pure electric mode.
The Grandland X shares PSA's EMP2 platform with the Peugeot 3008, Citroen C5 Aircross and DS 7 Crossback models.
Peter Sigal in Paris contributed to this report
