Vauxhall Ampera

Greenhous Cars and Commercials is bracing itself for a busy 2012 after being declared one of the UK select retailers of the much anticipated eco-friendly addition to the Vauxhall family; the Ampera.

The environmentally-responsible Vauxhall Ampera is released in March 2012 and just 24 dealerships across the UK have been selected by Vauxhall as retailers of the model.

Greenhous Group sales director Richard Potts said: "The Ampera is set to make waves in the automotive world and it is a coup for us to be chosen as a preferred retailer. We're experiencing huge interest and advance orders already from those drivers who want to be ecologically responsible without compromising on performance and appearance.

"A sleek and spacious vehicle that runs on a 111kw electric battery, It is an extended-range electric vehicle powered by technology Vauxhall calls Voltec. It's different than other advanced propulsion systems in that it uses electricity to drive the car's wheels at all times and speeds. Vauxhall's research demonstrated that  the average European driver drives 25 miles or less a day, so the Ampera was designed to travel 25-50 miles on battery power alone.

"However, that's sometimes unrealistic, so what makes the Ampera a revolutionary new addition to the field is its on-board Range Extender - a compact petrol-powered generator with a sole purpose to supply electricity when a driver wants to drive beyond the range of the battery. It runs at several optimised rpm levels, which have been calibrated for maximum fuel efficiency," he said.

The Range Extender doesn't have to be manually activated however; when the vehicle's battery management system detects the minimum charge level, the Range Extender automatically starts to generate electricity.  All that electric motor smoothness and torque is still there, because that's what's delivering power to the wheels. Excess generated electricity does not go to waste, it's stored in the battery.

Richard added: "The concept is completely different, and will appeal to anyone with concerns about co2 - Range Extender means it can travel more than 310 miles on its battery and release less than 40g/km of co2. Better still - the battery can be charged in less than four hours from a 240v socket!

"It's also a spacious vehicle, comfortably carrying four adults and having capacity for more than 300 litres of luggage, and benefitting from a stylish exterior.

"It's not surprising we've had so much interest already - it's proving a hit with families that need space and performance but don't want a gas guzzler, and also with businesses wanting to improve their own carbon footprint by reducing their emissions and impact on the environment. Add to that the ever-increasing fuel prices we have to contend with, and it's not difficult to see why demand is so high for a responsible, economic and efficient alternative.

"With so few dealers being entrusted by Vauxhall to present the Ampera to the marketplace, we're looking forward to a very busy Quarter one as we manage enquiries in our branch network," added Richard.