Vauxhall (Opel) has given the most persuasive demonstration yet of its new Ampera’s core strengths of ultra-low emissions and real-world usability when a prototype car traversed seven UK counties; its production version would have enough energy left to do the same again.
The 175-mile journey started at Luton, Vauxhall’s home for the last 105 years, wound its way up the M1 and M6 motorways via Birmingham, and ended up with a tumultuous reception at the company’s UK manufacturing plant in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
Every mile covered by the Ampera E-REV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) was electrically driven, yet on reaching Ellesmere, its range extender meant that it could travel still further. In full production guise, the Ampera would have made it back to Luton.
This 350-mile potential is unique in an electric vehicle and made possible by the Ampera’s range-extender, a small petrol engine/generator that seamlessly cuts in after around 40 miles to sustain the battery’s charge. The battery then continues to power the Ampera’s electric drive unit, which in turn drives its front wheels.
