Motoring review: Electric Vauxhall Ampera a gas
Posted by: Auto Buff / Category: General Motors
Published on Sunday 20 May 2012 04:14
You may run out of power, but you won’t run out of steam with the Ampera, although finding the cash to buy it could prove a problem, writes Frederic Manby
VAUXHALL’S Ampera is the bravest move yet in the very gradual transition to modern electric vehicles. Why so brave? Well, the cheapest costs almost £30,000 which is a stack of money for a car which can only seat four people and even on Vauxhall’s figures will manage 50 miles at the most on a battery charge. It then takes four to six hours to recharge, depending on your charger. That will cost hardly anything in juice, to around £1, depending on your power tariff.
The plus side is that you are pollution-free using the battery, escape the annual road tax and various company car taxes, because this is an electric vehicle. Even the Nissan LEAF is cheaper and does twice the mileage per charge, and can be boosted much more quickly when it has gone flat. Renault’s Fluence ZE version of the LEAF is cheaper still because you hire the batteries rather than buy them with the car but sways too much when cornering.
The LEAF went on sale in the UK a year ago. Even with the coveted COTY accolade of European Car Of The Year, it has sold less than 700.
The Ampera by General Motors but badged here as a Vauxhall (and the very similar Chevrolet Volt) have won this year’s European COTY gong. Vauxhall expects to sell 2,500 to 3,000 Amperas this year, rising to a target of 5,000 next year.
Why Vauxhall’s optimism? Because unlike the LEAF and Fluence ZE and all the other electric cars, the Ampera and Volt are extended-range vehicles. They have a 1.4 petrol engine alongside the double electric motor unit under the bonnet. When the battery goes flat – after just 37 miles on the test route chosen by Vauxhall – the petrol engine fires up and puts enough charge into the battery to keep going until the petrol runs out – say an extra 270 to 300 miles depending on how you drive. The transition is seamless. The only way you can tell is when the battery mileage symbol
Article source: Article Source
• Next-generation model to be built in the UK
