Vauxhall Ampera

Vauxhall offered three Ampera models in the UK. These came in the form the Positiv and range-topping Electron, as well as the lesser known Vauxhall Ampera Earth .

A range extender rather than a pure electric car, the Ampera is powered by a 85bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine and a 148bhp electric motor (the electric motor has an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty although this is subject to Vauxhall’s terms and conditions as well as being non-transferable). This combination means that it is able to return fuel economy of up to 235mpg and CO2 emissions of only 27g/km.

A four-seater vehicle enjoying sports-styling, the Ampera comes with two vibrant seven-inch displays, a touch panel central console, heated seats, air conditioning, black and silver 17 inch alloy wheels, a reversing camera and a DAB radio fitted as standard. An electric parking brake means there is space for cup-holders and an armrest in the front of the vehicle which has four individual seats. A nice innovation from,Vauxhall is a pedestrian alert buzzer, which can warn passers-by of the car’s presence when travelling below 30mph in full electric mode. The higher specification Electron also adds satellite navigation, advanced reversing camera technology and a Bose stereo. Vauxhall Ampera owners can benefit from a pre-conditioning function which allows the driver to heat or cool the vehicle in advance of setting off.

Vauxhall claims that its pure electric motor has a range of up to 50 miles, at which point the petrol engine increases the total range to more than 300 miles. A full charge will take four hours.