Presentation of the electric car Opel Astra Electric: The e-wagon is coming
Opel won't be the first supplier to have a BEV station wagon in its lineup. The Astra Electric has a good chance of attracting those who don't want an e-SUV.
(Bild: Opel)
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It took a while before Opel was allowed to follow suit: Stellantis presented the battery-electric Peugeot e-308 back in September, and now the Opel Astra Electric is following on the same basis. Opel customers need not fret, however, because the dealer premiere, which will probably take place sometime in early summer 2023, is unlikely to follow much later. With both of them, the giant Stellantis Group is responding to the demand often made in Western Europe to please bring a station wagon with electric drive onto the market. MG has already had one for some time, but Peugeot and Opel are brands that are better anchored here via a dense dealer network.
Astra Electric: 54 kWh battery
The technical specifications are – unsurprisingly – identical to the e-308 in the Astra Electric. The lithium-ion battery with 17 modules and 102 cells offers 54 kWh gross, of which it should be possible to use around 50 kWh net. Opel promises a range of 416 km and a consumption of 12.7 kWh/100 km in WLTP. As a reminder: The determination of the range in WLTP cannot be formed via a rule of three with consumption and energy content of the battery – we have explained why in more detail in this article.
Opel has corrected the consumption figure in the WLTP upwards: 14.9 kWh/100 km is supposed to be in the cycle.
WLTP consumption decreases
With this consumption figure, the Astra Electric is significantly below what Opel promises for the smaller Corsa-e in the cycle. Among other things, this is supposed to be made possible by a new electric motor that is somewhat more powerful than in the small car with 115 kW and 270 Nm. It is also said to be considerably more efficient, which would be astonishing on this scale. It should not be forgotten in this calculation that the WLTP figure includes charging losses. So it's quite possible that some of the lower consumption figures are due to reduced charging losses.
Opel Astra-e (4 Bilder)
The three driving modes Eco, Normal and Sport are also available in the Astra Electric. In the Corsa-e, they unlock 60, 80 or 100 kW, and in the Astra Electric, this power curtailment will presumably also be available below the "Sport" setting with 115 kW. Opel does not yet reveal how much is available in the other modes. If you add 10 to 15 kW to the values of the Corsa-e, you will probably get pretty close to the truth.
No progress when loading
At 170 km/h, the Astra Electric tops out slightly faster than some of its direct competitors, including the VW ID.3 – for most customers, this should be irrelevant. Rather, they will regret that Stellantis does not offer a larger battery or higher charging power, even at extra cost. A three-phase AC charger with 11 kW is standard, and a maximum of 100 kW is available on DC – no progress compared to the previous platform. There is also no mention of being able to tap the traction battery externally—neither for external electrical devices nor for bidirectional charging.
Trunk smaller than in the Astra with combustion engine
An Astra driver who wants to use electricity as driving energy has to live with certain restrictions in terms of trunk space. In the station wagon, the losses are identical for plug-in hybrid and electric drive. Therefore, we assume that the luggage space will also be reduced to the same extent in the five-door model. However, Opel does not yet provide any information on this. If we are correct, the figures will be as follows:
| Astra five-door | Astra Sports Tourer | |
| Electric drive | 352 – 1268* | 516 – 1553 |
| PHEV | 352 – 1268 | 516 – 1553 |
| Combustion | 422 – 1339 | 597 – 1634 |
| *Values not yet official | ||
Opel Astra Electric: Sales launch and prices
The Astra Electric can be ordered from spring 2023, with a dealer premiere expected from June. Neither Peugeot nor Opel have yet given even a rough indication of where prices might be headed. In both models, the plug-in hybrids are only available in expensive equipment lines. If Opel maintains this policy, a price of less than 40,000 euros for the base model of the Astra Electric is unlikely. However, it is more likely that there will be less extensively equipped entry-level models. After all, a volume manufacturer cannot serve only its most solvent customers in the long term if it wants to achieve high unit sales.
(mfz)