Used Vauxhall Corsa Electric cars for sale

Used Vauxhall Corsa Electric pros and cons

Is a second hand Vauxhall Corsa Electric a good car?

Small electric cars are still quite rare because it’s difficult to make profit on them - but if you’re in the market for one, the Vauxhall Corsa-e makes a great-value option next to something like a used Renault Zoe or Nissan Leaf. Used examples are almost as cheap as the equivalent petrol Corsa, which makes choosing an EV much easier.

The Corsa-e was renamed the Corsa Electric when it was facelifted in 2023, so it’s easy to differentiate the earlier models from the later ones. In fact, what’s harder is to differentiate a Corsa-e from a regular petrol Corsa - there are no styling differences, so your only clue is the ‘e’ badging and the green flash on the number plate. This combined with the Corsa’s generally neat but inoffensive styling makes it great for flying under the radar, though you could uncharitably call it dull instead.

The same thing goes for the driving experience. Unlike a lot of electric cars, the Corsa-e isn’t endowed with a ridiculous amount of power - it’s nippy away from the lights thanks to the instant torque of the electric motor, but you’re not going to be beating hot hatchbacks away from the lights and there’s nothing to encourage you to push on when driving down a country road.

The Corsa-e had an official driving range of up to 222 miles on a single charge. In reality that figure is closer to 180 miles of mixed driving. Fast-charging at speeds up to 100kW makes topping up on the road easy, though. 

A final thing to note is that the Corsa is very definitely a small car. While the boot is a decent size, the rear seats are pretty cramped - there’s much more room in a Renault Zoe or a petrol small car like the Skoda Fabia. Even young families will find they need more room.

What to look for when buying a used Vauxhall Corsa Electric

Vauxhall’s trim levels are often baffling, with numerous special editions, equipment changes and price adjustments. As a result it’s not always clear which Corsas come with what equipment. More basic cars have a 7.0-inch infotainment screen, while higher grades have a 10.0-inch affair which is much easier to use. Choosing a grade with LED headlamps is also a good idea, as the halogen units are very poor.

Choose carefully and your Corsa can come with some proper big-car features like massaging seats, adaptive headlights and navigation. 

Corsa-e models were popular as pool and hire cars, and many will have been used in towns and cities predominantly. So as with any city car, check carefully for the scuffs and dents of the urban jungle - as well as kerbing to the expensive diamond-cut alloy wheels of higher-end models.

The Corsa-e has been subject to two recalls, one for an intermittent issue for the on-board charger and another where the wiring for the air-conditioning compressor could develop a fault leading to the vehicle shutting down while driving. Check your car has had these addressed if buying used.

Vauxhall’s warranty is only three years and 60,000 miles, which means a lot of Corsa-e models for sale will now be out of coverage. The battery warranty is a more generous 8 years and 100,000 miles, though, so you should be covered against battery failure or loss of capacity.