[Kevin Sharpe]

"Listed at £33,695 before government grants, the range-extended plug-in essentially gets a £10,000 price cut after government purchase grants and dealer incentives have been applied, resulting in a walk-away price of £22,995"

http://transportevolved.com/2014/03/27/uk-dealers-start-plug-price-war-22000-ampera-deal/

 

[Grant Thomas]

If I was being harsh I would say the Ampera was made pointless by the BMW i3 REX. Both 4 seat cars; but the Ampera only has 40 mile range and woefully slow 16 Amp only charging speed BUT the perfect vehicle for the travelling salesman wanting to do their bit for the green lobby.

I hope this fire sale preludes the new Chevy Volt which everyone would like to see more range with; but GM are unlikely to give. We'll probably see a 5th seat in the new model, with a rethink on the T shape battery pack; and AT LEAST 7 kw charging option. GM are irritated by the success of Tesla but the corporate structure and inbuilt interests of oil companies and dealerships with prevent anything really new coming to market. Expect moderate evolution than a Tesla-style revolution.

 

[Paul]

This is being discussed in the "Special offers" thread already... Most recently here: http://speakev.com/threads/vauxhall-ampera-special-offers.928/page-3 and starting with some good prices here, back last year: http://speakev.com/threads/vauxhall-ampera-special-offers.928/

 

[Richard Gledhill]

Guess who mentioned this to Auto Express Hopefully it'll spur on a few more people to buy them and then Vauxhall can open more Ampera-capable service centres, etc...

 

[Grant Thomas]

Guess who mentioned this to Auto Express Hopefully it'll spur on a few more people to buy them and then Vauxhall can open more Ampera-capable service centres, etc...

Highly unlikely; Ampera / Volt has not sold well in Europe, not least by the fact that every car is built and shipped from the states making it an expensive, short range EV. This is shifting stock ahead of new model announcements.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

If I was being harsh I would say the Ampera was made pointless by the BMW i3 REX. Both 4 seat cars; but the Ampera only has 14 mile range and woefully slow 16 Amp only charging speed BUT the perfect vehicle for the travelling salesman wanting to do their bit for the green lobby.

Interesting point of view. So, if I understand you correctly, are you saying that there is no point in different styling, size, performance, manufacturer? Would you have us all driving one car? Sounds rather like old-style Russia!

I can accept that for you and for many the i3 wins hands down and I would never argue with that... that is your choice. But to say it is pointless is just not true.

Take me for instance... I wouldn't have an i3 over an Ampera. I much prefer the Ampera style both inside and out. The EV range is 40-50 miles real-world not the 15 your claim. That is perfectly adequate for most daily use. It doesn't need rapid charge because long trips are done using petrol. The killer for me is that the Ampera has a full 1400cc generator that can hold full performance regardless of circumstances even with the battery flat. There is less compromise in performance.

They are quite different beasts and they will appeals to a different group of people.

 

[Richard Gledhill]

Possibly... I'm not so sure. The new one isn't due till next year; this price has come from Pentagon doing a bulk-buy on Amperas from Vauxhall as they were confident they could get them at this price. Of course, it doesn't do Vauxhall any harm if they start selling more in the run-up to a new model...

 

[Richard Gledhill]

And I completely agree with Paul's comments above too (his post went up while I was writing mine!).

 

[Parax]

If I was being harsh I would say the Ampera was made pointless by the BMW i3 REX. Both 4 seat cars; but the Ampera only has 14 mile range and woefully slow 16 Amp only charging speed BUT the perfect vehicle for the travelling salesman wanting to do their bit for the green lobby.

Grant I think you have made a mistake there. I think you are confusing the Ampera range with the Plug in Prius!
My Ampera regularly returns between 30-50 EV miles (temperature dependant).

I think it is a bit harsh, as the Ampera will happily drive from one end of the country to the other without multiple refuel stops. the i3 is sold as a city car not a long distance drive. the ampera is proper dual mode and does both well the i3 Rex is a good EV but not a great petrol car. so for someone who wants an all in one (instead of two cars) the Ampera still fits.

 

[Parax]

"a walk-away price of £22,995"

Has anyone tried that with cash?? I noticed it was a finance offer where you'd end up paying £3K in finance charges.. making it a total payable of £26k & £28k not so much of a discount... with the grant on that vauxhall are getting £31k & £33k.

(bear in mind all other vauxhalls have been offered with a Zero% finance rate!)

http://www.pentagon-vauxhall.co.uk/offers/new-car/vauxhall-ampera-special-offer

It's very interesting to look at the second hand values on Autotrader.. Many are still listing above £22k (range from £19k-£27k)

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

PS to my last post...

When I tested the i3 I was smitten by it and loved the zippy feel and I did like the interior. For a while I genuinely wondered if I wanted to swap the Ampera for an i3. But after thinking about it for a while I realised that, although there are many great things to like about the i3, the Ampera much more suited what I wanted it for... mainly long trips without the need for regular stops to charge or fill and a 40+ mile EV capability when at home of when I arrived at my destination.

So, it wasn't really until I seriously though about whether the i3 was a sensible replacement for the Ampera that I fully appreciated the differences that made the Ampera the better option for me.

 

[Grant Thomas]

Interesting point of view. So, if I understand you correctly, are you saying that there is no point in different styling, size, performance, manufacturer? Would you have us all driving one car? Sounds rather like old-style Russia!

Good morning Ampera drivers Nope you misunderstand me. As you may have seen when I had an Ampera for 4 days (LINK) I liked the car but thought it has multiple "if only they had done this it would have been great" moments. Ampera was number 2 on m list when I ordered my LEAF in May 2012 and ONLY because of the 4 seats vs 5 and the price.

Multiple size / shape cars with different ranges is great; I like the idea of the Golf GTE as an 'all in one' crossover.

Think of my post as a wish list for the next Volt / Ampera.

Imagine if the next gen Volt had 60 / 70 miles range with 7 kw (or faster) AC charging and some 30 min Rapid Charge option and 5 seats all for £30k. That should ruffle the BMW i3 feathers.

 

[LK13]

If I was being harsh I would say the Ampera was made pointless by the BMW i3 REX. Both 4 seat cars; but the Ampera only has 14 mile range and woefully slow 16 Amp only charging speed BUT the perfect vehicle for the travelling salesman wanting to do their bit for the green lobby.

I don't know where @Grant Thomas gets the 14 mile range from. I hope it is just a typo. Even in winter conditions I have not seen less than 26.5miles and in the summer without driving frugally regularly saw figures in the 45 mile plus range. More than 50 was recorded with less aggressive driving on a number of occasions. All my driving is done with the heater on AutoMax 23-24 degrees in the winter and Auto ECO 21-22 degrees in the summer.

I am not a travelling salesman, I am retired. I do not want to be bothered with "in route" charging and find I do 71.6% of my 11000 annual mileage using battery only. The car suits me fine. It is the only electrically driven car apart from Tesla that will equal ICE range and performance from zero to 100mph. The BMWi3 Rex is in my opinion no more than a range anxiety eliminator, while the Ampera is a car with 300 mile range.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Thanks for clarifying!

I didn't think you were having a go at the Ampera really. You aren't that kinda guy! Heavens knows, I have had a up-down love affair with it right from the start. First I was, then I wasn't, then I did, then I wanted to reject it for the crappy SatNav. There has never been a car that I liked to hate so much or hated to like so much!

But if anyone considers it as the same as an i3 then perhaps they don't appreciate just what the differences are and that would be a shame IMO. In spite of its faults it is actually a very good option for many and yes, I do agree... better range, faster charging, a SatNav that works and 5 seats would make it even better.

 

[Grant Thomas]

Grant I think you have made a mistake there. I think you are confusing the Ampera range with the Plug in Prius!

Head said 40, fingers thought otherwise. Corrected in post.

 

[Derekosb]

Whilst the i3 is nice it is still at early release prices and therefore out of my budget.

The fact an Ampera was available for less than £200 a month is what caught my attention. An i3 is nearly double that and the rEX version would still not offer as much flexibility as the Ampera. All this is theoretical for me as yet. i pick my new Ampera up tomorrow. I will be interested to see how my use works out.

I accept the Ampera/Volt is not the long term answer to future motoring, however it fits my needs now and will dramatically reduce my motoring costs while slightly helping emissions. I watched my rear view mirror a lot this morning as a plume of blue smoke from my diesel followed behind me. Can't wait to be rid of that.

Derek

 

[Grant Thomas]

The fact an Ampera was available for less than £200 a month is what caught my attention. An i3 is nearly double that and the rEX version would still not offer as much flexibility as the Ampera.

Interestingly this offer only came out as soon as the BMW i3 started delivery

 

[Derekosb]

From what I have been reading, Ampera sales are so low I can only assume there was a batch in the country that Vauxhall needed to shift. One article quoted Ampera sales for 2013 at 150 units.

It appears to be very much a niche product for Vauxhall and barely marketed to the wider motoring public. Shame really.

Derek

 

[Paul]

Whilst the i3 is nice it is still at early release prices and therefore out of my budget.

Derek

I wouldn't hold my breath for sanctioned BMW discounts and price reductions!

 

[Grant Thomas]

I wouldn't hold my breath for sanctioned BMW discounts and price reductions!

Agreed, but 15 month old ex-demonstartors ........