Vauxhall Ampera review
The Vauxhall Ampera is a range-extender electric car, which combines all of the benefits of an EV with the range of a petrol car
The Vauxhall Ampera combines an eco-friendly electric motor with a range-extending petrol-powered generator. It was voted 2012 Car of the Year - alongside its sister car the Chevrolet Volt - and it rivals hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius, electric cars like the Nissan Leaf and efficient diesel saloons, like the BMW 320d ED. It can travel for up to 50 miles on electric power alone before the 1.4-litre petrol engine kicks in to maintain the charge of the batteries for a total range of more than 300 miles. Every Ampera comes well equipped, with two seven-inch displays, alloy wheels, a reversing camera and a DAB radio fitted as standard. But one of its biggest problems is its price. With the entry-level model costing more than £28,000 after the £5,000 Government grant, the Ampera is an expensive car- so much so, that Vauxhall is currently losing money on every model it sells. To counter this problem, the brand has said that the next-generation car will be cheaper. But in order to do this, it could feature a smaller battery and a shorter range when it arrives in a few years’ time.
Our choice: Ampera 1.4 Hybrid Positiv
Styling
With its sleek, aerodynamic lines, the Vauxhall Ampera looks more like a coupe than a conventional hatchbackwhile the aggressively styled grille, swept-back headlamps and wide stance help it to stand out from its rivals. On the inside, there are two seven-inch displays, with one displaying the instruments, while the other is used to control the infotainment system and is high-res and touchscreen. But the shiny plastic finish looks and feels cheap - especially for a car that costs a minimum of £28,000. The entry-level Earth model joined the line-up in 2012, and comes fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels, electric windows, climate control, DAB and Bluetooth as standard. Positiv trim adds a parking camera and heated leather seats, while top-of-the-range Electron cars comes with a Bose sound system and a touch-screen sat-nav.
Driving
Like its sister car the Chevy Volt, the Ampera is powered by a 85bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine and a 148bhp electric motor. It is said to be able to cover 50 miles on electricity alone but in the six months the Ampera was on our long-term fleet, we never managed more than 35 miles. The engine only kicks in to maintain the minimum charge in the battery and extend the car’s range, or at over 75mph when it assists the electric motor. When the battery runs down, the petrol engine becomes a generator, providing energy for the electric drivetrain. Thanks to a maximum torque figure of 340Nm, acceleration is punchy and as smooth and seamless as in any electric car. It can go from 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds and has a top speed of 99mph. The downsides are that the brakes are a bit jerky, the ride is firm and the weight of the batteries affects the car’s handling. That said, refinement is excellent and the Ampera is far more relaxing to drive than hybrids with noisy CVT gearboxes like the Prius.
Reliability
Vauxhall has worked hard to improve the reliability of its cars over the past couple of years, and it seems to be paying off. It finished 13th out of 30 in the 2012 Driver Power reliability survey, just ahead of BMW and Audi. Although the reliability of electric cars is still something of an unknown, there have been no reports of any major issues with the Ampera. Our long-term Ampera did suffer from a few problems, though, including a faulty charger and sticking charging flap, while the keyless entry and heated seats failed. However, every Ampera does come with an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery pack warranty, and there's free collection and delivery for servicing, warranty and repair work with a courtesy car. As for safety, the Vauxhall Ampera has a five-star crash test rating, with 85 per cent for adult occupant and 86 per cent for safety assist. It received praise for its standard fit ESP and seatbelt reminders, as well as its performance in the impact tests. In fact, it was the first car tested by Euro NCAP to achieve maximum points in the severe side pole impact test. Standard kit also includes ESP and a total of eight airbags.
Practicality
Although it’s still limited, the Ampera is far more practical than electric car rivals like the Nissan Leaf. The petrol generator means you don't need to wait for it to charge fully before you can go anywhere. However, while the interior is spacious, it does have a few problems. As the middle seat has been sacrificed to make room for the T-shaped battery pack, there is only room for four. Thanks to the coupe-like roofline, head and legroom is limited for rear passengers, while the large A-pillars restrict visibility for the driver. The boot is also disappointing, with just 300 litres of space – that’s less than the Nissan Leaf’s 330 litres and much less than the Toyota Prius, which has a 446-litre boot. However, the two rear seats do fold flat to create a 1,005-litre load area.
Running Costs
The Ampera is expensive to buy but it does benefit from very low running costs. It’s capable of returning fuel economy of up to 235mpg and CO2 emissions of only 27g/km from its petrol-electric powertrain. Vauxhall also claims that it’s capable of travelling on pure electric for up to 50 miles, at which point the petrol engine kicks in to increase the total range to more than 300 miles. A full charge will take four hours and should cost around £1. Unlike the Renault Twizy (which is officially classed as a quadricycle), the Ampera qualifies for the Government’s £5,000 electric car grant. It’s also eligible for five per cent Benefit In Kind company car tax, and road tax and the London Congestion Charge are free, too. Plus, it’s the first electric car not to rely on the charging infrastructure - refill the 35-litre tank and you can just keep going.
For an alternative review of the latest Vauxhall Ampera Hatchback visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk
Disqus - noscript
Our fleet Ampera has covered 3400 miles on 0.9 of just one gallon and other than a bit of electricity the car has been excellent in use and in terms of costs
Unless GM have changed the setup between Volt and Ampera, the engine does _not_ start up at all unless the battery's state of charge falls below its minimum set (about 20%), the vehicle's powered on and the bonnet's open, the ambient temperature is low enough that it needs to run to warm up the battery (below -5c I believe), or if the engine hasn't run for a long enough time that the system needs to burn off stale fuel from the lines and tank. In the US, the Volt will do an honest 100mph, and I have done that on a suitable road (the new stretch of 85MPH in Texas), entirely on electric power.
Its a brilliant concept but the price negates any fuel saving benefit. A £14K diesel Skoda Rapid makes far more sense and you could fuel it for ten years on the money saved (especially if you include the contribution that I make through my taxes).
The Ampera will suffer spectacular depreciation because when it gets to 5, 6 or 7 years old, buyers will only be thinking about the battery.
The running costs of a car are more than mpg and this is particularly true for plug-in electrics. If you factor in depreciation and the interest you pay on a loan to buy a car, fuel economy becomes virtually irrelevant. If the Ampera does 35 miles/day, it will use no petrol but its running costs work out at £0.66 per mile. Taking into account the CO2 produced to make the electricity used to power the car (550g/kWh), emissions are not 27g/100, but over 170. Regardless of the distance covered by this car, its emissions are never less than this.
Getting a bit bored of the CVT digs by ze Germans. CVT's do cause more engine noise if you accelerate like the USS Enterprise, but in normal driving conditions they are the smoothest and most economical way of delivering power. Ze Germans have been trying to make the old fashioned auto boxes as smooth as a cvt for years, but the issue with dual clutches etc is they add loads of weight, cost and unnecessary complexity, it just isn't worth it. So you are left with the choice; jerky step ups and kick downs, or a silky smooth change with the extra engine noise on hard acceleration.
If it's not a sports car, CVT is the way forward in my opinion. Especially when combined with a hybrid power train, to ring out a few more miles per gallon.