VAUXHALL says its all-new battery-powered Corsa-e is "on a mission to democratise electric mobility", writes William Scholes.
As missions go, it's not the sort of thing that is likely to make James Bond or Mission: Impossible main man Ethan Hunt break out in a sweat, but it is the sort of challenge that car-makers everywhere are wrestling with.
The price tag - from £27,165 once the government's plug-in car grant, which now stands at £3,000, is applied - doesn't seem especially democratic either; whatever way you look at, this is an expensive supermini.
Still, there is an undeniable clamour for electric vehicles, and the Corsa-e will attract interest with its range of up to 209 miles.
It comes with a 100kW - equivalent to 134bhp - motor and a 50kWh battery. The motor makes 192lb.ft of torque and the car can zip from rest to 31mph in 2.8 seconds; 0-62mph is quoted as taking 8.1 seconds, and the Corsa-e has a top speed limited to 93mph.
If you can find a 100kW rapid charger, you can take your Corsa-e battery from a 15 per cent to 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.
That's a remote prospect in Northern Ireland. Owners are more likely to use a 7kW wallbox charger at home, in which case you're looking at more than seven hours to go from flat to full.
You'll need five hours at a 22kW public charging point to take your battery from 15 per cent to 80 per cent, though this can be dropped to just over three hours if you opt for the more powerful 11kW on-board charger.
As befits its price, the new Corsa range, the car comes with a long list of standard equipment, including adaptive LED headlamps and a raft of safety kit. The Corsa-e is offered in SE Nav and Elite Nav trims.
