Vauxhall Evaluates Ampera-e, RHD Possible In The Future

As Opel is getting ready to debut the new Ampera-e at the 2016 Paris Auto Show, sister company Vauxhall remains committed to having an EV in its future range and will start evaluating it in the UK.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Brits will get a right-hand drive model anytime soon, because Vauxhall is considering such a car for a future generation.

“The technology which underpins the new Ampera-e is of great interest to us, and we will be evaluating LHD cars from next spring and demonstrating them to clients. The fact that the Ampera-e is not an eco-luxury second car for customers broadens its appeal greatly, but it’s obviously vital that the car we sell in our market is right-hand drive, and that won’t be available in the current generation“, said Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director, Rory Harvey.

Based on the North American Chevrolet Bolt and coming with a few visual tweaks, the new Opel Ampera-e is said to have a pure electrical range that can exceed 250 miles (402 km), and the automaker states that in every day conditions, it can still achieve more than 185 miles (298 km). This places it against the BMW i3 equipped with the 33 kWh battery, which has a maximum NEDC range of 186 miles (299 km).

Setting it in motion is an electric motor that generates 204 PS (201 HP) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft) of torque, fed by ten battery modules, consisting of 288 lithium-ion cells with a capacity of 60 kWh, developed in cooperation with LG Chem.

The Opel Ampera-e can accommodate five people inside its 4.17-meter long body and offers 381 liters of boot space. The car is also equipped with the latest-gen IntelliLink infotainment and OnStar and has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.