Opel/Vauxhall Ampera Wins Prestigious Technology Award

• Ampera wins Green Technology Award from top British title What Car?
• Editor praises Voltec propulsion system
• Ampera production to begin late 2011

London. The revolutionary Opel/Vauxhall Ampera Extended Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) was crowned Monday the inaugural winner of a new and prestigious green motoring award.

Top British car magazine What Car? honored the Ampera with its Green Technology Award, praising the Ampera’s innovative and usable approach to green motoring, as well as its ability to overcome the range anxiety suffered by users of conventional electric cars.

Unlike a plug-in electric vehicle, Ampera’s E-REV system, called Voltec, uses an on-board gasoline generator to prevent the battery from discharging completely. This means that in addition to a 60-kilometer electric-only range, electricity from an engine-generator extends the Ampera’s range to more than 500 km.

With more than 70 per cent of European car journeys far less than the Ampera’s electric-only range, the majority of drivers will be able to use the four-seater with zero exhaust emissions and no gasoline consumption. At the same time, they will have the peace of mind of knowing it is capable of undertaking longer journeys without recharging.

The Green Awards highlight and recognize the UK motor industry’s efforts in making cars more environmentally friendly. The awards were presented by London’s Mayor Boris Johnson and What Car? editor Steve Fowler at a ceremony in the UK capital. “Of the myriad approaches to cutting CO₂ from our cars, the Ampera’s Voltec system is one of the cleverest. It’s simple, should be effective, and as it can be adapted to be used with fuel cells, it’s pretty future proof, too,” Fowler said.

In accepting the award, GM Europe Director of Advanced Vehicle Development, Gherardo Corsini, said, “This is a real honor for all involved in the development of Ampera and is further proof that the Voltec drive system is widely becoming recognized, both across the industry and by the general public, as the most usable and realistic form of alternative propulsion available in the near-term future.”

Ampera production is due to begin in 2011. The first UK cars go on sale from early 2012.

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