Stellantis gives its small EVs a range upgrade

Despite the fact that Lancia only launched the redesigned Ypsilon last year, the company is already updating the hatchback. The company states that the new Ypsilon Electric can cover the 425 km range on a single charge, an improvement of 6 per cent or 22 km over the previous model. This is thanks to the “improved chemistry” of the NMC battery and a more efficient powertrain, which means the average energy consumption comes down to 14.3 kWh every 100 km.

The list price of the Ypsilon Electric remains unchanged, starting at €34,900. However, this of course varies based on which market the vehicle is purchased in, as trade-ins and government incentive schemes can bring the price lower, depending on location.

The Ypsilon Electric’s sister models, the Vauxhall Corsa Electric and the Peugeot e-208, which are also based on the Stellantis e-CMP platform, also recently received a range update. Here, too, Stellantis now offers the 54 kWh battery (51 kWh net).

The Peugeot E-208 with its 115 kW electric motor now has an extended WLTP range of 433 km, an improvement of 23 km. The Vauxhall can go up to 428 kilometres on one charge, which is also 22 kilometres more than the previous version. There is no change to the charging capacity, which remains at a peak of 100 kW at suitably powerful DC charging points. The standard charging process from ten to 80 per cent should therefore take just under 30 minutes.

Moreover, the latter two EVs now offer vehicle-to-load capacities (V2L). In case of the Corsa Electric, the feature will be available from May 2025. In means the EVs can power external devices from the car’s battery with up to 3.5 and 3.6 kW, respectively. The function is available up to a minimum of 30 per cent State of Charge (SoC). The bidirectional adapters are available at the respective retailers.

And the Peugeot E-208 has even more to offer. The French company is introducing a trip planner which, in combination with the optional navigation system, can plan routes with charging stops. “To calculate the ideal route, the system takes into account the distance to be travelled, the battery’s charge level at departure, the desired battery charge level upon arrival, and the available charging stations near the destination, considering energy consumption based on various criteria such as speed, traffic, type of road, and elevation”, Peugeot explains.

In addition, the new “80% charge limit” feature for AC charging is designed to adapt the charge level “to daily use.” Peugeot does not state in the press release whether the 80 per cent limit and the route planner can also be installed in vehicles that have already been delivered.

stellantis.com (Lancia), stellantis.com (Peugeot), Stellantis.com (Vauxhall)