The world is changing, and with it our way of thinking – about the environment, sustainability and mobility. It is time for a new mobility concept: the revolutionary new Vauxhall Ampera. It is an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle powered by technology we call Voltec. It’s different than other advanced propulsion systems – it uses electricity to drive the car’s wheels at all times and speeds. And since the average UK driver drives 25 miles or less a day, we designed the Ampera to travel 25-50 miles on battery power alone . To do this, we had to create the cutting-edge, 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery that is the heart of the Ampera. But what happens when the battery runs low?

Enter the Range Extender. This on-board “power creator” is a compact petrol-powered generator whose sole purpose is to supply electricity when you want to drive beyond the range of the battery. It runs at several optimised rpm levels, which have been calibrated for maximum fuel efficiency.

Once the sophisticated battery management system detects the minimum charge level, the Range Extender automatically starts to generate electricity. If you’re listening carefully you might just hear it when it starts, but you won’t feel any change at all. 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. The Ampera is equipped with regenerative brakes, which means that additional energy captured during braking is converted into electricity and is also stored in the battery pack.

The battery will continue to store energy from regenerative braking and any unused electricity  created during extended-range mode operation. This energy supplements the engine generator to provide peak performance when required.

Once you get to where you’re going, the battery can be fully recharged in about 6 hours by plugging into any standard  240-volt outlet.