Opel Ampera

[ManuVince]

I don't have any kind of numbers to back my claim, but have the feeling the Ampera is selling better and better here in the Netherlands. I start see those on the road on the daily basis, while it used to be a rare sight. Fews days I saw 6 different during my small half an hour commute to work.

I have a friend who has one, and is very happy with it. He's self employed and told me that tax wise, it was making perfect economical sense to buy that car. He really happy with the car so far, and used to own a 5-serie BMW, so does have some expectations in term of quality.

 

[dpeilow]

When I was in the Netherlands recently I saw 5 in one day while I was taking a couple of bus rides.

Quality wise I think it is great and I traded in an Audi for it.

 

[Adm]

When I was in the Netherlands recently I saw 5 in one day while I was taking a couple of bus rides.

1926 Ampera's sold so far in the Netherlands and 205 Volts

 

[dpeilow]

Vauxhall Ampera is fuel efficient - and one of the most usable green cars out there - Quentin Willson - Mirror Online

 

[widodh]

I don't have any kind of numbers to back my claim, but have the feeling the Ampera is selling better and better here in the Netherlands. I start see those on the road on the daily basis, while it used to be a rare sight. Fews days I saw 6 different during my small half an hour commute to work.

I have a friend who has one, and is very happy with it. He's self employed and told me that tax wise, it was making perfect economical sense to buy that car. He really happy with the car so far, and used to own a 5-serie BMW, so does have some expectations in term of quality.

I see a lot of them as well (Middelburg), they seem to do very well here as well.

The tax climate makes them very attractive (But not as attractive as a Model S )

 

[dpeilow]

Ampera becomes first production car to drive from UK to France | TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk

World first: driving to France under the Channel | Sunday Times Driving

 

[AustinPowers]

I see a lot of them as well (Middelburg), they seem to do very well here as well.

The tax climate makes them very attractive (But not as attractive as a Model S )

I really hate our government for not at all providing a tax climate (or any climate) that would make EV's attractive.
No wonder Germans aren't buying them.
Sad really, the influence the German automaker-lobby has over our government.

 

[VolkerP]

Ampera becomes first production car to drive from UK to France | TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk

World first: driving to France under the Channel | Sunday Times Driving

Although Eurotunnel agreed the use of the tunnel, for safety reasons they insisted that the car could only run on battery power whilst underground, which is not a big problem for any electric car equipped with a range of over 63 miles. [...]
The Vauxhall Ampera managed to complete the challenge and also exceed its established battery range by 10 miles.

Let's see: Top Gear [car show] declares a 220 miles rated EV "empty" after 55 miles, whereas Top Gear [magazine] drives an extended range EV rated for 40 electric miles for 50 miles? Probably not Clarkson behind the wheel :biggrin:

 

[ManuVince]

I really hate our government for not at all providing a tax climate (or any climate) that would make EV's attractive.
No wonder Germans aren't buying them.
Sad really, the influence the German automaker-lobby has over our government.

Where it gets really sad, is that you guys have an excellent fast charging infrastructure with the like of RWE. All you need now are proper EVs...

 

[AustinPowers]

Where it gets really sad, is that you guys have an excellent fast charging infrastructure with the like of RWE. All you need now are proper EVs...

Well, proper EV's like Model S, Opel Ampera and (next year) Renault Zoe, VW Golf electric, Ford Focus electric, Volvo C30 electric etc. are (or will soon be) available.

But as long as there is no interest on the part of the government to give any incentives to buy these cars, they will not be bought in large numbers due to their high price premium.

I mean take a Model S with 85 kWh battery and a few features and you will have to pay at least 70k Euro I would guess.
For less you get a nicely equipped 5-series (or similar Audi A6 or E-class Merc) diesel with very low fuel consumption. And the price difference will pay for your diesel for quite a few years to come. Especially as the price for electricity is about to go up drastically in the next few years (at least in Germany - again thanks to our government politics).

- - - Updated - - -

Let's see: Top Gear [car show] declares a 220 miles rated EV "empty" after 55 miles, whereas Top Gear [magazine] drives an extended range EV rated for 40 electric miles for 50 miles? Probably not Clarkson behind the wheel :biggrin:

And certainly not The Stig either. Perhaps it was driven by "Captain Slow"...

 

[dpeilow]

Fifth gear

FYI I've never seen that message and I'm normally in the outside lane of the motorway passing everything else...

 

[GSP]

Nice video. Thanks for posting.

I've never seen the "reduced propulsion power" message either.

OK, I have been hypermilling on level ground to maximize my EV range (only used 1/2 tank since Christmas, including several out of town trips).

I think that you only get reduced power *after* the battery is depleted. The generator can provide 55 kW average power to the 111 kW traction motor, with the battery filling in short bursts above 55 kW. Lapping a road course will easily require sustained power greater than the 55 kW generator can provide. This would be hard to duplicate when street driving, unless you are climbing the Rockies (or the Alps).

Perhaps they were running it hard enough that one of components was temperature limited, but they are all liquid cooled, so this is unlikely.

GSP

 

[jcstp]

Ampera is very difficult to measure on a Dyno apparently
They had to brake the dyno to be able to measure horsepower!

 

[dpeilow]

Today it is 6 months since I got the Ampera. Still loving every mile in it, but GM still need to sort out some minor issues in the software and I would like to have a remote control and monitoring app like the Volt.

Since getting charging at work in July, I have done 5900 miles at an average of 232 MPG. (Had I not been in Germany for 3 days this week, that would have been 6000 miles at 235 MPG, the official figure for the car.) Overall mileage is 8553 at 163 MPG. Electric miles are now 85% (91% since getting work charging).

Although that 232 figure obviously includes a lot of commuting, it also includes trips to the Brecon Beacons in Wales and Silverstone, Gloucestershire, Somerset three times and London three times - so over most of Southern England.

 

[dpeilow]

Now passed 6000 miles at 236 MPG.

 

[dpeilow]

Next Vauxhall Ampera to get shorter range | Auto Express

 

[qwk]

Typical GM, going backward.

 

[jcstp]

they could leave out the engine! that would reduce the price too!

 

[Doug_G]

I moved chimpanzee's post about the 2013 CES to its own thread. It didn't really fit here. -mod

 

[dpeilow]

I've saved £2K in less than a year with my electric car | This is Money


Also - left the car unplugged for 3 days and nights in temps down to -5C (low 20s F) and came back to this...