The production version of Chevrolet Volt’s European cousin – the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera – will make its world debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.
Having already been reserved by around 1,000 people across Europe and with a price tag of €42,900, the Ampera is said to meet the targets outlined for it during its development phase.
For the first 25-50miles, depending on terrain, driving style and temperature, the power is supplied by the electricity in the 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack – this is designed to meet the needs of around 80 per cent of European drivers who travel less than 37miles a day. Then, should a longer trip be needed, the petrol fuelled engine can extend the range to around 311miles on a full tank. Its battery can be recharged in around four hours and the electric motor delivers 370Nm of torque from a standstill with the Ampera able to accelerate from 0-100km/h in nine seconds and reach a maximum speed of 100mph.
The vehicle is further enhanced by a “drive mode” button in the centre stack that allows the driver to choose between normal, sport, mountain and city modes.
The normal mode is the default setting for maximum efficiency most of the time; sport mode reconfigures the accelerator pedal for quicker responses; mountain mode adjusts the system to provide the necessary power in mountainous environments; and city mode adapts the battery management for commuter travel allowing the range extender to be engaged immediately to save the energy stored in the battery. This means that when city mode is turned off the Ampera can immediately use the energy saved for pure electric driving.
