Our Cars: Vauxhall Ampera - December

Vauxhall Ampera

Week ending December 21
Mileage 11,250
Driven this week 100 miles

Vauxhall Ampera review

Last week I drove a few friends into London in our Ampera, and everyone commented on its smoothness.

In stop-start urban traffic, working your way from one set of lights to the next, there are no traditional cars short of a Mercedes S-Class that will deliver the same effect.

The driving position fits me pretty well, too, so I find it easy to spend hours at the wheel.

By Ed Keohane
Ed.Keohane@whatcar.com

Week ending December 14
Mileage 11,150
Driven this week 250 miles

This recent cold weather has confirmed my suspicion that electric cars don't like winter. That's not to say the Ampera's has been unreliable, far from it, but the proposition loses some of its appeal when there's ice around.

For instance, I got in yesterday evening and the engine started - even though there was plenty of juice left in the batteries - with a warning 'Engine running due to temperature'. That's fine, except the petrol costs much more than the same electricity, which normally makes the car cheap to run.

The fuel economy without battery power has also dropped to 37mpg, which is still pretty good in town, but not competitive on the motorway.

By Ed Keohane
Ed.Keohane@whatcar.com