The new Vauxhall Ampera – It’s Electrifying!
Emission-free driving with style, comfort and luxury, Vauxhall has
launched its electric car, the Ampera at this year’s Geneva Show.
Expected to arrive in the UK in 2012, the new Vauxhall Ampera will have a driving range of around 300 miles.
The Vauxhall Ampera’s wheels are turned electrically at all times and speeds. For journeys up to around 40-miles, it runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery, and emits zero CO2. When the battery’s energy is depleted, electricity from the on-board engine-generator extends the Vauxhall Ampera's range to more than 300 miles. The Vauxhall Ampera can be plugged into any household 240v outlet for charging.
When the battery’s energy is depleted, a petrol or E85-fuelled engine-generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery thereby extending the driving range for several hundred additional miles.
Based on current fuel prices, Vauxhall predicts that the Vauxhall Ampera will cost roughly one-fifth of the current cost per mile of an equivalent petrol engined car.
Practical and efficient and following fast on the Insignia’s European Car of the Year success, Vauxhall has developed the Vauxhall Ampera with excellent passenger space and futuristic equipment features in an aerodynamic, premium design package.
The aerodynamic design reflects Vauxhall’s reliance on advanced propulsion technologies . The design team maximised aerodynamic efficiency whilst still creating a car conducive to everyday driving comfort.
The Vauxhall Ampera's exterior design also takes cues from the Flextreme and GTC Concept show cars with features like dramatic, boomerang-like headlights that seamlessly integrate with the lower fog lights. Vertical slots in the outboard edges of the rear bumper not only give the car a low sporty look but also play a key role in creating a clean separation feature for the air, supporting the highly efficient aerodynamic performance.
Created in its unique Pearl White Diamond colour with matching rocker panels and rear bumper, the Vauxhall Ampera also looks dynamic. The interior features a Jet Black cabin combined with Spice Red accents and Dark Argent Metallic paint on the instrument panel’s centre stack.
All the normal expectations of space, comfort, practicality and convenience features are incorporated in the five-door four-seater which also includes luggage capacity of 301 litres.