Opel Confirms Fully Electric Astra Variant For 2023

Opel confirmed the upcoming Astra-e fully electric variant for 2023, during the model’s premiere in Rüsselsheim, as part of their strategy to become a fully electric brand in Europe by 2028.

The all-new sixth generation of the Opel/Vauxhall Astra was first unveiled in July 2021, and initially, Opel announced it would be offered in petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

The Opel Astra is based on the EMP2 architecture which also underpins the Peugeot 308, and the DS 4 siblings. At first, it was believed that this platform wasn’t designed to support BEV variants but it seems that Stellantis managed to fit a larger battery and electric motors transforming it to the pure electric e-VMP architecture.

Read More: 2022 Opel Astra Has Stellantis Underpinnings And A Bold New Face

Uwe Hochgeschurtz, Opel’s CEO, said that this will be the first time the company is offering both plug-in hybrid and battery electric variants of the same model. Indeed, the Astra will have the widest range of powertrains ever to be offered by an Opel vehicle.

The Astra-e will expand Opel’s BEV range next to the Rocks-e heavy quadricycle, Corsa-e supermini, Mokka-e B-SUV, Combo-e Life, and Vivaro-e Life passenger vans. The Rüsselsheim-based company is also offering an electric commercial vehicle range including the Combo-e, Vivaro-e, and Movano-e, all based on Stellantis underpinnings.

Like the aforementioned models, the 2023 Astra-e will carry over the styling of the regular Astra which comes with the Opel Visor at the front (a single panel covering the grille and the matrix LED taillights) and a sculpted body. Inside, it will retain the Pure Panel cockpit comprising of a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, plus all of the latest ADAS systems. In the future, the Astra-e could also get an OPC/VXR version with a more focused suspension setup and likely slightly more aggressive styling.

As a reminder, in terms of ICE-powered variants, the Opel Astra is available with the turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder petrol engine producing 108 hp (81 kW / 110 PS) or 128 hp (96 kW / 130 PS), and the 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel also producing 128 hp (96 kW / 130 PS). The plug-in hybrids combine a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with a single electric motor for a combined output of 178 hp (132 kW / 180 PS) or 222 hp (166 kW / 225 PS) and an electric range of up to 56 km (35 miles) thanks to the 12.4 kWh battery.

Deliveries are expected to start in early 2022 for the ICE-powered and plug-in hybrid variants of the Opel Astra, and in 2023 for the fully electric Astra-e. Besides the five-door hatchback bodystyle, Opel will also offer the more practical Astra Sports Tourer that will be unveiled shortly.