Vauxhall’s first-ever fully electric Astra Electric hatchback is now on sale, priced from £39,995 and with up to 258 miles of range.

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Starting first deliveries later this summer, the all-electric hatch is expected to prove a strong favourite with fleets while the Astra Sports Tourer Electric due later this year will become one of just a few all-electric estates on sale. Both are key models in Vauxhall’s plans to be electric-only by 2028.

The Astra Electric joins its existing PHEV and petrol siblings, all built on the Stellantis EMP2 platform also used for the Peugeot e-308 due this year and enabling electrification.

The powertrain is the same as the Peugeot’s and features a 156hp electric motor producing 270Nm of torque, powered by a 54kWh lithium-ion battery. Importantly, the battery and motor system have been packaged to ensure no compromise in interior space or practicality, compared with plug-in hybrid versions of the Astra.

The Astra Electric accelerates from 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and achieves a top speed of 106mph. Drivers can also choose between three driving modes: Eco, Normal and Sport.

An 11kW on-board charger comes as standard, enabling a full charge from empty in five hours 45 minutes using a public AC charger. The same charge from a 7kW wallbox takes eight hours.

The Astra Electric also supports up to 100kW DC rapid charging, giving a 10% to 80% charge in some 30 minutes.

Drivers can also use the MyVauxhall app to delay charging, taking advantage of lower electricity tariffs during off-peak hours and also greener energy. The delayed charging can also be activated through a push button in the charging flap.

Design carries over Vauxhall’s Bold and Pure design language, already featured on the petrol and PHEV versions and including the Vizor front-end and the new Vauxhall Griffin logo. Top-spec versions get IntelliLux pixel matrix LED units featuring 168 individual LED lights.

Trims cover two designations – GS and Ultimate – both designed to deliver high levels of equipment. Both versions come as standard with 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels – black on GS models and bi-colour on Ultimate versions, contrast black roof and door mirrors and a black surround and detailing for the Vizor front-end.

Vauxhall’s latest technologies feature onboard, including the Pure Panel Pro infotainment system with a 10-inch digital instrument cluster and a 10-inch central display. All models come with natural voice recognition to control key vehicle functions, activated by saying “Hey Vauxhall!”, while Ultimate models gain an Intelli-HUD head-up display unit.

The top-grade trim also comes with Intelli-Drive 2.0, the latest driver assistance package from Vauxhall, which features Advanced Intelligent Speed Adaption, which monitors both road signs and weather conditions to adjust the vehicle speed.

Intelli-Drive 2.0 also adds semi-automated lane change assist, while carrying over existing Intelli-Drive features such as lane positioning assist and rear cross traffic alert.

Ultimate models also come with Intelli-Air clean air technology and wireless smartphone charging, while the Intelli-Vision 360 panoramic parking camera and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto is standard on all models.

Other standard tech includes heated leather steering wheel, keyless entry and start, and rain-sensitive wipers.

Vauxhall has also opened orders today for its Astra Sports Tourer GSe plug-in hybrid. The third model to launch under its GSe performance label, the Astra Sports Tourer GSe gets an uprated PHEV powertrain, enhanced chassis and extra equipment. It’s also revealed that the new-generation Crossland crossover will arrive next year with a fully electric variant, alongside the fully electric Grandland large SUV already announced for next year.