Opel Ampera is not just a technologically advanced car. It is a car that makes the transition
from past to future, having under the same hood philosophies of yesterday and tomorrow.
But how about the present? Is Ampera a car for our days? Is it a car for you?
The idea is simple. Ampera and its brother, Chevrolet Volt, were created for those who
want an electric car - with all the advantages deriving from here - but don’t want a limited range.
The advantages are undeniable: there is no need to buy two cars, an electric one for the city
and another one with internal combustion engine for longer trips.
In terms of technology, Ampera is a masterpiece. It has a total of three engines, connected in series:
One main engine of 150 PS/HP, an auxiliary electric one, 72 PS/HP, that
works as a generator when braking or when it is spun by the third engine - an internal combustion
gasoline one, of 1.4-liter, with 86 PS/HP.
If you want to get the best of Ampera, it is recommended to recharge it overnight. If you live
in a house, with a yard, you shouldn’t have any problems. Good news comes also from
the public parking, where it began to appear power outlets. However, if you recharge it at home,
for about 40-50 real kilometers you will not need another power outlet.
During the test I had some problems. It seems that not only the gas and the diesel quality
are questionable in some refueling stations. Also the power outlet’s quality of energy is bad
OR the way the infrastructure was designed is poor. Specifically, after a few tens
of minutes of charging, Ampera refused to be recharged, on the grounds that the amperage is too low,
a problem that was signaled on the special charger.
So you must be careful from where you recharge your car, even if you have an electric one.
The good part is that the gasoline in the tank jumps the real range of Opel Ampera to over 400 km.
During the test drive, the gasoline consumption fluctuated between
7 and 8 l/100 km - which are not bad for a 150 PS/HP car.
The interior is very modern and ergonomic, with individual seats both in front and in the back.
The cabin is separated in two - left and right - being crossed by the battery
package with a capacity of 16 kWh.
The conventional instrument cluster is replaced by a colour screen at Ampera
that shows you logically and legibly the important information. An identical screen has also the
advanced multimedia system that allows you to visualize the energy consumption,
the driving style, and, of course, the classical music information on the CD, iPod or phone.
Because the driving pleasure is not neglected at all, Ampera allows you to choose between
four modes: Normal, Sport, Mountain and Hold. It is pretty clear what the Normal and Sport
modes can do, but let's see what Mountain and Hold is.
Well, it is recommended to enable the Mountain mode when the battery power is low and you are
about to approach a mountain route. So the gasoline engine will work harder to charge
the battery faster, so that you will not somehow run out of resources on top of the hill.
The Hold mode is designed to conserve the energy in the battery, if you want so.
For example, you come from the periphery to the center of the city and you want to drive in
the pure electric mode only through the busiest route.
The 150 PS/HP send Ampera to 100 km/h in 9 seconds, and the acceleration is done like this.
From the dynamic point of view this car is pretty close to Insignia, but the lack of
exhaust and engine sounds lead to a unique driving experience, hardly comparable to anything else.
Impressive are the very good start up in electric mode, the quietness and the firm
driving position, well placed.
Ampera has also some obvious weak points. One of them is that the front bumper is very low
and it is impossible not to scratch it at the entrance of underground parking.
Another one is that the quality level of the interior is doubtful if you have in mind the price of Ampera
and what Insignia you can buy for the same amount of money.
Ampera was launched in Romania with a price of 44,500 Euros with VAT in 2012,
but now the price dropped to 39,900 Euros with VAT. So here is a more attractive purchase price
that adds to some tax exemptions.