A new all-electric Vauxhall Ampera-e will join the brand's range as part of a 29-strong model offensive that's set to be complete before 2020. The car was announced today at an event in Bochum, Germany, and is based on the American market Chevrolet Bolt EV.
Vauxhall says the five-door Ampera-e will have a longer range than most other electric vehicles, and with the Bolt being able to travel more than 200 miles on a single charge it does look promising. For example the new Nissan Leaf with a larger 30kWh battery can still only manage 155 miles on one charge.
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According to Vauxhall the "flat battery pack" under the floor means that the five-seater has extra room inside, as well as a big boot - something that bulky batteries in electric cars sometimes prevents. There aren't any hard details on the Ampera-e just yet, but as it's likely to share a lot with the Bolt we can expect somewhere around 480 litres of boot space.
Equipment in the Chevy Bolt includes a 10.2-inch touchscren display, sat-nav, hand gesture recognition and even Spotify functionality for your music. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will also be in use on the Bolt, so expect to see them on the Vauxhall version, too. Vauxhall has also confirmed that its OnStar tech will be present on the car, which allows drivers to connect to a call centre to get help with anything they need on the road.
Opel group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann said: “Electric vehicles have the potential to make a significant contribution to climate protection and emissions reduction. The new Ampera-e will open the road to electric mobility by breaking down the barriers of high price and short driving range.”
There's no word on a price for the car yet, but in the US the Chevy Bolt will cost $37,500 (around £26,000), which is about as much as a BMW 3 Series. It's likely to put the car in a price range to rival the upcoming Tesla Model 3, which will be revealed at the end of March.
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