The Extended-Range Electric Vehicle moved up the M1 and M6 motorways via Birmingham and finished with a special reception at the carmaker’s UK production site in Ellesmere Port, Chesire.
Every mile covered by the car was electrically driven, but when it reached Ellesmere its range extender would have allowed it to travel further. Vauxhall says that the production version of the car could’ve made a journey twice that long.
Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall’s Managing Director sat behind the wheel for the first leg of the journey and was waved off by Griffin House staff at 10 am yesterday morning (UK time).
“This is truly a red-letter day for Vauxhall,” said Duncan. “The Ampera will offer British motorists a groundbreaking solution to low emissions car ownership, and will prove that running an electric car no longer means being anxious about charge levels after the first few miles. What’s more, its performance and refinement will surprise motorists, as will its practicality - it’s a genuine proposition for green-thinking families and businesses alike.”
“The Ampera will re-adjust people’s attitudes toward electric vehicles as crude, slow and compromised. It’s none of these, yet has the potential to be used every day with zero tailpipe emissions, and without a trip to the filling station. Our workforce here at Ellesmere Port is right behind the Ampera, and we look forward to seeing it on British roads at the start of 2012,” said Tony Francavilla, Plant Director at Ellesmere Port.
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