Earlier this month, the Opel Ampera was awarded the European Car of the Year title by a jury of 59 journalists from across Europe. It has also recently been awarded the maximum of five Euro-NCAP stars for safety.
The Ampera uses a 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack that feeds an 111 kW/150hp electric drive unit to deliver between 40 and 80 km of pure electric driving with zero emissions.
It has enough power to cover most drivers' daily commute and for longer journeys, a range extender kicks in when the battery is low. The range extender is a petrol powered generator that supplies electricity to the car for a further 500km. The car's battery can be recharged in four hours at home or anywhere through a 230v conventional outlet.
The Ampera is expected to go on sale in Ireland this September.
