Opel will offer an electrified version of each model by 2024 before going purely electric in Europe by 2028. It already has a dozen of electrified versions on sale today, but many more are coming in the following years. The German brand part of the Stellantis automotive conglomerate confirmed this week to make the Crossland and Insignia successors EVs, with no word about selling them alongside combustion-engined versions.
The two zero-emission vehicles will be joined by the return of the Manta in 2025. However, the classic nameplate will be repurposed for a swoopy SUV rather than a rear-wheel-drive sports coupe its two ancestors were in the ’70s and ’80s. Before that happens, Opel plans to introduce the Astra-e in 2023 as a five-door hatchback and a more practical wagon (Sports Tourer). The compact duo will join the already available PHEV versions of the all-new Astra.
In the long run, Opel hopes to roll out EVs capable of covering from 500 to 800 kilometers (311 to 497 miles) on a single charge. The ultimate goal is to drastically cut charging times by allowing owners to replenish the battery to offer 20 miles (32 kilometers) of range in just one minute. Speaking of batteries, a Giga Factory in Kaiserslautern will be operational by 2025 as part of a joint venture called Automotive Cells Company with Total/Saft, Stellantis, and Mercedes-Benz. ACC’s industrial capacity will have 32 GWh.
Details about the upcoming EVs are not available for the time being, although logic tells us the Astra-e will be mechanically twinned with the Peugeot e-308 also coming in 2023. The conventionally powered and plug-in hybrid versions of the two share the underpinnings, and it should be the same story with their EV counterparts.
The French model is expected to be front-wheel-drive-only and boast a battery with a usable capacity of 50 kWh. The pack will provide enough energy for nearly 250 miles (402 kilometers) of range and will support charging at 100 kW. The electric motor is reportedly good for 154 horsepower and 199 pound-feet (270 Newton-meters) of torque in an EV rumored to tip the scales at roughly 1,600 kilograms (3,527 pounds). If the weight is accurate, it means the pure electric model will be just about as heavy as the PHEV.
The Peugeot e-308 is scheduled to enter production in July 2023, but there are no details about whether there will be a wagon as well or you’ll be stuck with the Opel Astra-e Sports Tourer.
Source: Opel
