[Derekosb]

Well hello everyone.

My name is Derek (username is a bit of a giveaway I suppose) and I am in Glasgow but work in Ayrshire.

I ordered a new Ampera yesterday (see Ampera Deals thread in GM section) from Pentagon Vauxhall in Sheffield and hope to pick it up on the 29th of March.

I have been reading this site voraciously for a few weeks whilst I researched the idea of running an EV.

As a high mileage driver (18k pa) I was always dismissive of the possibility of running an EV. It was only recently when an EV charging station was suggested for the office building I manage that I started looking into it.

All of a sudden I discovered a Nissan Leaf could be purchased for £199 a month from Macklin Motors http://www.macklinmotors.co.uk/new-car-deals/nissan/leaf/visia/192438/nissan-leaf-visia-flex-electric/

This got me thinking but the Leaf range meant every now and then I could not cover the mileage I needed to do in a day. There was the option of using my wife's car on those days but that would require her co-operation and interest.........

So the obvious alternative was an Ampera, although well out of reach financially I thought. Then I spotted the Pentagon deal and dug a little deeper.

I have a 30 mile commute (each way) and will be able to charge at the office. 8 or 9 days out of 10 that is all I will do. On the other days I will cover 80 to 100 miles. I also have to be available to attend any of the sites I manage at the drop of a hat. If it were a Leaf and I had just driven 30 miles to the office then had to drive 60 miles to say Livingston/Edinburgh I would be in trouble. The Ampera could cope with the unexpected as well as the occasional longer days without any issues.

Anyway, I realise I have a lot to learn about all this (a whole new language it would appear!!) but am really looking forward to it.

Derek

 

[Paul]

Hi Derek and welcome to the forum, congrats on your order too!

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Welcome Derek.

It sounds to me like the Ampera is a great choice for you and your use pattern.

Which version did you opt for?

 

[Derekosb]

Welcome Derek.

It sounds to me like the Ampera is a great choice for you and your use pattern.

Which version did you opt for?

Hi Paul and Paul and thanks for the welcomes,

I went for the Positiv. Hard to justify the extra £2k for a sat nav/infotainment system upgrade as that seems to be the only thing you gain with an Electron.

The Pentagon headline price of £22995 is only for Black so I went for Brilliant White which they just happened to have in stock. One reason I can collect it on the 29th.

It does mean a drive back down to Sheffield and a drive home to Glasgow. My lifetime MPG figure is going to suffer from that start!!

Derek

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

FWIW I have done 20k miles now and my lifetime is just 75mpg... well, I say "just" but if it were any other car I'd be thrilled at 75mpg so I shouldn't complain but some folk are well into the several hundreds! I do a lot of 100 mile trips and it hammers the lifetime figures.

I have the Electron but I do agree about the extra... I'd get a Positiv if I were to buy again

 

[Derekosb]

I am hoping to cover the vast majority of my mileage on battery power which should see my Lifetime MPG gradually climb. I suppose you have your LEAF for your shorter journeys.

I do 30 miles each way (or it can be 24 if I don't go dual carriageway). If the dual carriageway doesn't kill the range too quickly I should manage that on battery most of the year, in the winter perhaps having to use the generator for a few miles. I can then recharge at the office for the drive home in the evening. If the dual carriageway is too heavy on power I will go the shorter back roads route even if it takes an extra 5 minutes.

Most of the weekend driving is local, maybe 20 or 30 miles, so should be battery.

I am therefore left with the business journeys to my other sites where I can clock up 80 plus miles in a day. Worst case I am looking at 40 to 50 miles on fuel once a week or 3 times a month. Once or twice a year I may need to go a "long" journey.

I really am aiming at 90% battery driving.

Am I being overly ambitious guys??

Derek

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I really am aiming at 90% battery driving.

Am I being overly ambitious guys??

Not really is that is your driving profile.

Some people have NEVER used petrol except for the automatic maintenance running of the generator.

For me, the trick to enjoying the car is not to worry about lifetime MPG. You will get what you get and thinking too much about it is just an unnecessary concern. Keep an eye on it just to make sure there is no fault but apart from that the Lifetime MPG will be very good to superb regardless. Be safe in the knowledge that it will always be better than most ICEs even at its possible worst!

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

welcome @Derekosb

 

[hopbackguy]

Hi Derek, you'll love the car. I have been driving a Positiv for 17 months and it's a great car. Are you getting yourself a home charger through the OLEV scheme?

 

[Derekosb]

Hi Derek, you'll love the car. I have been driving a Positiv for 17 months and it's a great car. Are you getting yourself a home charger through the OLEV scheme?

Hi Mike,

Thanks and good to hear someone else enjoying their car. It's a big leap to switch to electric.

I am getting a home charger, however as I am in Scotland it will be provided through the EST scheme. My whole interest in running an EV was started when one of my tenants (I manage Commercial Properties) started installing home charging stations under the Energy Savings Trust scheme. They can also help with the installation of a commercial charging point so, as I mentioned above, we will install one at the office building I am based in for use by our tenant companies (and the public as per the terms of the EST scheme).

I thought this would then allow me to charge at work as well as home and an EV became a practical possibility.

Expecting my house to be surveyed next week and the charging point may even be installed before I collect my car next Saturday.

Derek

 

[Gary Taylor]

Hi Derek,
Like hopbackguy said you will love it, I will have had mine 2 years May and I still get in it everyday with a smile, there are shortcomings but on the whole great.

I often do Coventry to Newcastle and Coventry to Luxembourg 3 or 4 times a year, am just clocking 40k at 85 mpg, I was at 95 but had to do 11 consecutive weekends to Newcastle.

Have fun
Gary

 

[Derekosb]

Hi Derek,
Like hopbackguy said you will love it, I will have had mine 2 years May and I still get in it everyday with a smile, there are shortcomings but on the whole great.

I often do Coventry to Newcastle and Coventry to Luxembourg 3 or 4 times a year, am just clocking 40k at 85 mpg, I was at 95 but had to do 11 consecutive weekends to Newcastle.

Have fun
Gary

Thanks Gary. Really looking forward to getting the car. Next Saturday can't come fast enough. I might even enjoy the 4 1/2 hour drive home, even if I will have to fill the car with Petrol to complete the journey......

Derek

 

[Derekosb]

Well, I collected my new car today and drove it home to Glasgow.

Here it is waiting for me outside Pentagon Vauxhall in Sheffield, shining in the afternoon sun.

Details are here in my new thread: http://speakev.com/threads/my-new-summit-white-ampera.1624/

Derek

 

[brian orr]

Cool, very cool indeed!
Surely the Ampera is the best looking of all the BEV/E-REVs?
Lets hope GM/Vauxhall keep eh faith and produce further E-REV vehicles?