New Cars | Vauxhall Ampera

Vauxhall Ampera

The new Vauxhall Ampera is the stuff of fantasy in the real world - an electric vehicle for everyday driving, its revolutionary Voltec propulsion system gives the Ampera up to 40 miles of battery-powered driving with zero tailpipe emissions and the extended range technology can give you up to an extra 310 miles between re-charging.

Electrifying Looks

Sculptural artistry and precision – the Vauxhall Ampera’s sleek aerodynamics contribute to emission-free battery powered driving. No sacrifices for driver or passengers: the Ampera offers the space, comfort, and convenience of a modern car with five doors, four seats and a storage capacity of 300 litres.

The art of aerodynamics

Sporty aerodynamics help maximise the driving range. The airflow around the fascia and outside mirrors has been optimised; the rear has a specifically designed spoiler and clean separation features.

Lightweight materials are used such as clear polycarbonate covers on the front grille and the disk inserts on the 17-inch, five-spoke sport alloy wheels. These help to reduce aerodynamic drag in critical airflow areas.

Sculptural forms and expressive lines

Dramatic, boomerang-like headlights seamlessly integrate with the lower fog lights. The car has a dynamic low stance seen most prominently in the front and tail. The bold new Vauxhall Griffin logo is emblazoned on the front grill and the chrome bar across the back.

Vertical slots in the outboard edges of the rear bumper give the car a low sporty look. Its unique Pearl White Diamond colour with matching rocker panels and rear bumper underline the dynamic appeal of the car.

Uncompromised everyday driving comfort

New high quality and high-tech materials set the tone inside the Vauxhall Ampera. It has good all-around vision, a driver-focused cockpit, ample space, head and legroom for 4-adults and a basic luggage volume of over 300 litres.

The interior décor features a unique jetbblack design combined with Spice Red accents and Dark Argent Metallic paint on the instrument panel’s centre stack.

The doors’ design picks up on the car’s electric nature through the use of iconic themes. With an integrated shifter, two information displays and touch-sensitive infotainment centre, the Ampera delivers an all-electronic user experience.

Quiet power for up to 350 miles

The nearly silent Voltec electric drive unit delivers 370 Nm of instant torque and a top speed of 100 mph. Vauxhall’s revolutionary technology uses electricity as its primary power source and petrol as a secondary power source to generate electricity. The main components of the Voltec electric propulsion system are a T-shaped battery pack, a 111 kW electric drive unit, and an internal combustion-powered electric generator.

A new category of electric driving

The Vauxhall Ampera represents a whole new category of electric driving. In conventional hybrids the wheels are turned by an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, or both. In practice, hybrid vehicles require both sources – engine and battery – to provide full vehicle performance capability.

An extended range electric vehicle (E-REV) like the Ampera is different from a hybrid or plug-in hybrid in that the vehicle’s wheels are always propelled by an electric drive unit. The Ampera does not need to use fuel while driving within the 40-mile battery range.

Voltec technology

The lithium ion battery can be charged from a 230V socket in 3hrs and has a range of up to 40 miles delivering zero tailpipe emissions. For longer journeys, unlike other Electric Vehicles (EVs), there is no need to worry about range, as the 1.4ltr combustion engine can let you drive for up to 310 miles. The engine powers the battery, so the wheels are driven by the electric motor at all times.

Saving and winning

The Vauxhall Ampera is well-suited to the needs of most European drivers, the majority of which commute less than 30 miles from home to work and back.

With its Voltec propulsion system the Vauxhall Ampera can drive 40 miles on electricity alone, with zero tailpipe emissions. And recharging is easy: the lithium ion battery can be charged from a 230V socket in 3 hours.

Extended range

With the Vauxhall Ampera you can go 40 miles on its battery alone and up to another 310 miles extended range with the 1.4 litre (82 HP) petrol-fuelled electric generator.

You will not be left stranded by an empty battery. When the battery’s energy is depleted, a small efficient combustion engine provides electricity to power the electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery.

Low emissions at low cost

An extended range electric car will save about 370 gallons of fuel per year based on 40 miles of daily driving (15,000 miles per year). As a baseline comparison: The cost to operate a Vauxhall Ampera is approximately £0.02 per mile electrically versus £0.09 per mile using gasoline priced at £1.20 per litre. In other words, the cost of an electrically driven mile in the Vauxhall Ampera is about a fifth of the cost of a mile driven in a conventional petrol vehicle, at current fuel prices.

Considering additional tax incentives and benefits, this technology constitutes a truly attractive alternative to conventional offers in the market.

Uncompromised driving

There is also no compromise in terms of driving excitement – just the opposite. The power from the electric motor can be transferred instantaneously to the wheels giving 370Nm of torque, powering a top speed of 100mph and going from 0-60mph in 9 seconds.

For journeys up to 40 miles the Vauxhall Ampera runs on the electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery and emits zero tailpipe CO2.

When the internal combustion engine is used to supply the drive unit with electricity, it runs at a fixed speed, which makes it more efficient than a normal car engine. Under normal driving conditions where 80% of daily journeys are less than 30 miles, the combination of battery power and extended range technology deliver up to 175 miles per gallon of fuel whilst emitting less than 40g/km of CO2.