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Driving Experience

Driving Experience

What's it like to drive an electric vehicle?

Most first-timers find driving an electric vehicle a really pleasant surprise. They often talk about the simple controls, powerful acceleration, better traction, and how quiet it is.

Most of the controls are familiar too, which makes things easy. There’s no clutch pedal or gearstick because all electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are automatic. So just press the start button, select ‘D’ for drive, release the parking brake and you’re off.

 

As a new electric driver, you’ll probably notice how fast it can accelerate. An electric motor delivers all of its power as soon as you press the accelerator pedal. So it feels faster than many sports cars up to 30mph. Corsa Electric, for example, glides from 0-60 mph in just 7.6 seconds and achieves an instant 260Nm of torque. It feels effortless.

 

A pure electric vehicle has no gears, so acceleration is seamless and there’s no engine noise. Finally, you’ll love how the vehicle holds the road. The heaviest part of the car (the battery pack) is under the floor, giving you far more control and stability on corners. Gripping stuff.

 

Watch our video with Ellie, a professional rally driver, to see how Corsa Electric moves around the track.

Driving modes to suit you

Sport/Power mode

Have more fun. Switch to the Sport mode. It delivers livelier driving dynamics and makes our all-electric models more responsive. With the regenerative braking system storing kinetic energy in the battery to help improve range.

 

Feel the power with up to 260Nm of torque at the touch of a pedal with Corsa Electric,Astra Electric and Mokka Electric, and increase responsiveness with Sport mode.

 

The Power mode on Vivaro Electric is here to help when your vehicle is fully loaded.

 
Eco mode
The Eco mode turns your all-electric vehicle into a long-distance runner. The vehicle’s systems are switched for maximum energy efficiency. And the regenerative braking system stores kinetic energy in the battery to help you travel further. 
Normal mode

Select Normal drive mode and, for example, the Corsa Electric will take you up to 248 miles without re-charging.1 More than enough for day-to-day journeys in a car that’s fun to drive in the city, to festivals or wherever the road takes you. And with our regenerative braking system storing extra energy in the battery as you go, your range is boosted even more.

 

In the Grandland Plug-in Hybrid. you can drive up to 39 miles2 in pure electric mode. Or, select hybrid mode and the car will auto-select the most efficient driving more. 

 

 
Experience it for yourself

 
We can tell you what it’s like to drive, but the only way to truly feel the electric vehicle experience is to try it for yourself. Go for it.