Vauxhall Ampera Is The Icing on the Cake As it Charges From Brighton to London

LUTON/BRIGHTON, UNITED KINGDOM – November 9, 2010: Vauxhall celebrated over a hundred years of innovation this weekend as two of its landmark cars took part in challenges that illustrate the company’s history as a pioneer of new technology.

Travelling from Brighton to London on Saturday November 6th, the Vauxhall Ampera took part in the Royal Automobile Club’s inaugural Future Car Challenge, which brought together 60 low emission vehicles on a 60-mile journey. However, unlike other electric vehicles, the Ampera, an extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV), reached the finishing line in London’s Regent Street with 300 miles of its range remaining, thus completing close to the full journey on one battery charge alone with virtually zero CO2 tailpipe emissions.

The event was further proof of the effectiveness of the Ampera’s unique technology which, apart from a lithium-ion battery, includes its own onboard electric charging infrastructure in the form of an engine generator. With its unique technology, the Ampera was also the only E-REV car scheduled for production to enter the run.

Acclaimed as “The Public Choice” with an engraved Royal Automobile Club trophy, the Ampera was considered as the icing on the cake not only by Ian Allen, Ampera Launch Manager, and his fiancée who were celebrating their double-birthday while being chauffeured in the car throughout the run, but also by the public who voted for the car.

The Ampera will be on sale in early 2012.

A perfect counterpoint to the Ampera came in the shape of one of the company’s earliest cars, the 1904 Vauxhall that resides in Vauxhall’s Heritage Centre in Luton. It successfully completed its 55th entry into the world-famous London to Brighton Trial the following day, making the journey in its own record time of 5 hours. The valuable and unique Vauxhall-owned veteran masterpiece was driven by Vauxhall Heritage Centre technicians, Andy Boddy and Terry Forder who look after the company’s collection of over 60 veteran, vintage and classic vehicles.

“It’s been an extraordinary weekend for Vauxhall,” said Denis Chick, Director of Communications for Vauxhall. “On each day we’ve showcased a car that has, or will, impact on the motor industry in a major way. We started our mission as an innovator in 1903 and 107 years later we’re still pioneers with cars like the Ampera.”