Latest news with #AstraSportsTourer
Economic Key
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Economic Key
Opel Previews High-Performance All-Electric GSE Models
In 2025, Opel will take the electrification of the brand to a new level. The extra-dynamic and emotional GSE sub-brand will become fully electric and at the same time receive a new, expressive logo – ready for the next generation of GSE models. How the future Opel GSE electric cars will send pulses racing is shown in the new GSE film 'Three Letters', which is now available online on all relevant channels. 'The GSE sub-brand stands for particularly dynamic, exhilarating, and emotional Opel models. In 2025, we will take the next important step. The new GSE models will be fully electric. This demonstrates how powerful, exciting, and inspiring battery-electric mobility can be,' teased Opel CEO Florian Huettl. As early as 2022, Opel heralded the return of the iconic 'GSE' abbreviation – since then, GSE has stood for 'Grand Sport Electric' – and shortly thereafter offered the Opel Astra, Astra Sports Tourer and the previous Grandland generation as particularly bold and dynamic electrified top models with plug-in hybrid drive. With the next GSE generation, the sub-brand will now enter a fully-electric era and become even more emotional. Even the new GSE trailer – the cinematic GSE manifesto, so to speak – shows in one minute that 'Three letters are enough to send pulses racing!' • G for: Grand, German engineering meets goosebumps, great grip and G-forces • S for: Sport, speed, sweat and sliding through S-curves • E for: Electric, excitement, exhilaration and euphoria And Opel promises: 'There will be more this year. So better not blink or miss all the fun!' Because everyone who drives a new battery-electric GSE model will experience the proverbial OMG feeling – full of excitement and adrenaline! In addition to the sporty look, which is based on the award-winning Opel design, future GSE customers can look forward to a chassis set-up that directly integrates the driver and offers exciting driving pleasure. In addition, the GSE, like all other models with the Blitz, are designed to be stable when braking, cornering and at high speeds on the Autobahn – and combine this with locally emissions-free mobility. Opel is thus proving once again that all-electric vehicles are also full of emotions. The suspenseful short film as well as the new 'OMG! GSE' platform also continue the fresh and unconventional tonality of the recently unveiled Frontera launch campaign as well as award-winning marketing campaigns such as 'Yes, of Corsa' and '#GOGRAND', with which Opel has already successfully positioned the best-selling Opel Corsa and the new top-of- the-line Opel Grandlan. تم نسخ الرابط
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hot electric Vauxhalls are back on the menu
Hot Vauxhalls are making a comeback, as the company's performance-focused GSE sub-brand is set to return in 2025 as a flagship fully electric range with a fresh new logo. The GSE (or 'Grand Sport Electric') badge was last revived in 2022 with plug-in hybrid variants of the Astra, Astra Sports Tourer and Grandland. The relaunch will ditch the current hybrids in favour of next-generation, battery-electric GSE models, which Vauxhall hopes will represent the peak of its all-electric ambitions. Florian Huettl, CEO of Vauxhall, said: 'The GSE sub-brand stands for particularly dynamic, exhilarating, and emotional Vauxhall models. In 2025, we will take the next important step. The new GSE models will be fully electric. This demonstrates how powerful, exciting, and inspiring battery-electric mobility can be." Vauxhall has yet to properly reveal any new cars, but teases a sporty new Mokka in the brand's eye-catching GSE relaunch trailer. The short video promises drivers fierce dynamics and 'the proverbial OMG feeling' behind the wheel. As well as getting a sportier look, added performance and bucket seats, GSE owners can look forward to 'a chassis setup that directly integrates the driver and offers exciting driving pleasure'. We're also told that the forthcoming hot electric Vauxhalls are designed to be stable when braking, cornering and at high speeds on the motorway. The revival of the GSE sub-brand is part of Vauxhall's wider ambition to go fully electric, as the brand aims to phase out new combustion models by 2028.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Spain pays drivers £8,500 to go electric... as Labour's £3,000 tax kicks in
Spain has reintroduced £8,500 electric car grants in the same week that Labour brought in 'unfair' tax increases on Britain's battery-powered vehicles. New electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Britain now face paying up to £3,110 in tax bills during the first six years of ownership. All electric cars are liable for vehicle excise duty (VED), while models worth more than £40,000 come with an added £425 charge payable annually between the second and sixth years of a car's lifespan. Last week's hefty tax increase – which experts fear will hamper EV uptake – is in stark contrast to subsidies introduced in Spain. Spaniards can now benefit from up to €7,000 in aid if they scrap a petrol or diesel-powered car older than 10 years. The grant, which is capped at €5,500 if there is no car exchange, comes in addition to a €3,000 income tax deduction if the new car costs less than €45,000. The maximum potential savings on buying a new EV stand at €10,000 (£8,500). A previous subsidy scheme came to an end in December, but it has now been brought back to life. Britain, meanwhile, has not offered an electric car grant since 2022 when the Tories ended a £1,500 scheme nearly a year before the industry expected. Standard annual car tax, which now costs £195 for zero-emission cars, is also cheaper in Spain. EVs also benefit from a 75pc discount in major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. The Spanish government hopes its relaunched subsidy scheme, which will run until December at a cost of €400m, will boost EV uptake. Last year, 134,000 were sold in the country, accounting for 11.4pc of total car sales. In Britain, 19.6pc of sales were EVs yet the numbers were heavily skewed by fleet sales, which comprised two thirds of the sales. There are fears the new tax bills for electric cars will deter potential buyers. Fewer than one in four drivers intend to buy an EV in the next three years, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The £425-a-year expensive car supplement, which kicks in when a car has a list price of more than £40,000, will impact the majority of drivers thinking of going electric. Vauxhall lowered the price of its Astra Sports Tourer and Grandland electric cars to come in below the threshold, but most new EVs top £40,000. Chris Rosamond, of Auto Express, said: 'Levying what is basically a tax set on petrol cars eight years ago on to EVs today is unfair, especially when you consider the large sums involved. 'With private EV uptake already struggling and cost being one of the main deterrents for potential buyers, this change risks slowing adoption at a critical time. The Government should be supporting drivers in making the switch to EVs, not penalising them.' John Cassidy, of Close Brothers Motor Finance, said: 'The Government's decision to apply VED to EVs only adds to cost concerns which are piling up for motorists, and adds further doubt over the proposed 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles – with 78pc of motor dealers already lacking confidence that this will go ahead.' In the Budget, Labour conceded that the expensive car tax has 'disproportionate impact' on EVs and said it would 'consider raising the threshold for zero-emission cars only at a future fiscal event'. Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, however, did not mention electric cars in her Spring Statement. A Treasury spokesman said: 'We're investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs, helping deliver our Plan for Change by kickstarting growth and productivity across the UK while helping tackle climate change. 'Our approach ensures fiscal stability while providing incentives through the tax system, such as freezing VED first-year rates (£10) for EVs to encourage the transition to electric and zero-emission vehicles.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
05-04-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Spain pays drivers £8,500 to go electric... as Labour's £3,000 tax kicks in
Spain has reintroduced £8,500 electric car grants in the same week that Labour brought in 'unfair' tax increases on Britain's battery-powered vehicles. New electric vehicle (EV) drivers in Britain now face paying up to £3,110 in tax bills during the first six years of ownership. All electric cars are liable for vehicle excise duty (VED), while models worth more than £40,000 come with an added £425 charge payable annually between the second and sixth years of a car's lifespan. Last week's hefty tax increase – which experts fear will hamper EV uptake – is in stark contrast to subsidies introduced in Spain. Spaniards can now benefit from up to €7,000 in aid if they scrap a petrol or diesel-powered car older than 10 years. The grant, which is capped at €5,500 if there is no car exchange, comes in addition to a €3,000 income tax deduction if the new car costs less than €45,000. The maximum potential savings on buying a new EV stand at €10,000 (£8,500). A previous subsidy scheme came to an end in December, but it has now been brought back to life. Britain, meanwhile, has not offered an electric car grant since 2022 when the Tories ended a £1,500 scheme nearly a year before the industry expected. Standard annual car tax, which now costs £195 for zero-emission cars, is also cheaper in Spain. EVs also benefit from a 75pc discount in major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. The Spanish government hopes its relaunched subsidy scheme, which will run until December at a cost of €400m, will boost EV uptake. Last year, 134,000 were sold in the country, accounting for 11.4pc of total car sales. In Britain, 19.6pc of sales were EVs yet the numbers were heavily skewed by fleet sales, which comprised two thirds of the sales. There are fears the new tax bills for electric cars will deter potential buyers. Fewer than one in four drivers intend to buy an EV in the next three years, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The £425-a-year expensive car supplement, which kicks in when a car has a list price of more than £40,000, will impact the majority of drivers thinking of going electric. Vauxhall lowered the price of its Astra Sports Tourer and Grandland electric cars to come in below the threshold, but most new EVs top £40,000. Chris Rosamond, of Auto Express, said: 'Levying what is basically a tax set on petrol cars eight years ago on to EVs today is unfair, especially when you consider the large sums involved. 'With private EV uptake already struggling and cost being one of the main deterrents for potential buyers, this change risks slowing adoption at a critical time. The Government should be supporting drivers in making the switch to EVs, not penalising them.' John Cassidy, of Close Brothers Motor Finance, said: 'The Government's decision to apply VED to EVs only adds to cost concerns which are piling up for motorists, and adds further doubt over the proposed 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles – with 78pc of motor dealers already lacking confidence that this will go ahead.' In the Budget, Labour conceded that the expensive car tax has 'disproportionate impact' on EVs and said it would 'consider raising the threshold for zero-emission cars only at a future fiscal event'. Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, however, did not mention electric cars in her Spring Statement. A Treasury spokesman said: 'We're investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs, helping deliver our Plan for Change by kickstarting growth and productivity across the UK while helping tackle climate change. 'Our approach ensures fiscal stability while providing incentives through the tax system, such as freezing VED first-year rates (£10) for EVs to encourage the transition to electric and zero-emission vehicles.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Vauxhall drops prices to swerve new 'luxury car tax' on EVs
Vauxhall Grandland Electric in Ultimate trim previously cost £40,495 – putting it over the ECS threshold Vauxhall has cut the price of the range-topping Ultimate versions of its Astra Sports Tourer and Grandland electric cars to below £40,000. The move means all of the brand's EVs, bar the van-based Vivaro Life Electric, swerve changes to vehicle excise duty (VED) that would have cost a driver an extra £2125 over the first six years of their car's life. From 1 April 2025, EV owners will be charged Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, or 'road tax') for the first time, costing the same flat rate of £195 that combustion-engined cars built after 1 April 2025 are charged. This also means owners of EVs with a list price of more than £40,000 – including the cost of optional extras such as paint – will be hit by the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS). This is an annual charge of £425 per year for five years after the second year the car is registered, on top of the regular VED charge. This brings a significant increase in cost over the first six years of an expensive car's life: the owner of a car under £40,000 will pay £1170 in VED over that period, whereas the owner of one over that limit will pay £3295. Therefore owners of cars costing more than £40,000 face paying an extra £2125 in tax over the first six years. According to data from analyst Jato Dynamics, the £40,000 threshold – which was set in 2017 – is £8559 lower than the current average price of an EV. Industry critics of the ECS argue that because the policy was designed so long ago and before the popularisation of EVs, it no longer reflects what is an 'expensive car' in the real world. 'The threshold for the ECS – dubbed the 'luxury car tax' when launched – has remained unchanged at £40,000 since it was set eight years ago, when the overall market was 30% larger than today and BEVs barely featured,' said Mike Hawes, chief of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Eurig Druce, acting managing director of Vauxhall, said: 'The threshold for the Expensive Car Supplement has remained at £40,000 since inception in 2017, despite subsequent high levels of inflation. If it were to have risen with inflation, it would now be around £52,000. 'With the average price of an EV in the UK at around £48,000, this new tax means that customers buying some of the more attainable electric cars on the market are now being penalised whilst at the same time we're trying to move as many British motorists to electric as quickly as possible.' Druce added that 'we'd urge the government to reconsider this new measure' to incentivise sales of EVs. ]]>
