With recent reports showing a gallon of petrol is set to hit £6.16 across the UK, there’s never been a better time to switch to low cost, eco-friendly, electric motoring. This year’s European Car of the Year - the Vauxhall Ampera - offers the perfect solution.
The Ampera’s groundbreaking propulsion system offers all of the benefits of electric driving without any of the drawbacks. Providing the battery is charged overnight, there is every chance you could go for months without having to visit the pumps. Add to this the on board range-extender which will supply electricity should the battery be depleted and you have the first electric car suitable for everyday use.
For as little as £1 the Ampera provides a battery powered emissions free, range of 25-50 miles. This range is ample for the average daily UK commute which research shows is less than 30 miles. For longer journeys electricity is produced via an on-board range extender/generator which seamlessly powers the car for a further 310 miles.
And it’s this technology that motorists will find compelling, as petrol and diesel prices shot up by around 2.5 per cent across the UK this month. Petrol rose by 3.3 pence per litre while diesel increased by 3.1ppl, leading to average pump prices of 135.5ppl and 140.4ppl respectively. These figures make harsh reading at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch, but it’s not just the Ampera’s astounding frugality that’ll help motorists cut their costs.
Ampera prices, which start at £29,995, include a £5000 government Plug-In-Car Grant (PICG) and the car benefits from VED and congestion charge exemption too. Company car drivers also prosper from a 50 per cent reduction in company car tax. The Ampera also comes with Vauxhall’s Lifetime Warranty and an eight-year, 100,000 mile warranty on the battery systems.
The Ampera is not a hybrid. Its wheels are electrically driven at all times, with a 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack feeding a 150PS electric drive unit. The Ampera delivers between 25-50 miles of battery-powered zero-emission driving on a single charge.
But what sets the Ampera apart from other EVs on the market is its range extender, which boosts the car’s range by up to 310 miles. A small 1.4-litre petrol-fuelled engine/generator runs at optimum efficiency, generating enough electricity to power the electric motor (but not the wheels) and operates seamlessly as part of the Ampera’s powertrain.
