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Ampera turns a corner for city commuters

VauxhallAmpera Zip car
Zipcar: Mark Walker and Steward Gibbs shake on the deal

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21 May 2012

Zipcar: Mark Walker and Steward Gibbs shake on the deal

Author:

ROBIN ROBERTS

The range extending Vauxhall Ampera has turned a corner in the capital.

Zipcar, has launched a pilot partnership with Vauxhall, that sees Ampera join its fleet of self-service, pay as you go vehicles for the next six months. It’s the first time in the UK that a car sharing club has offered access to an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV), and Zipcar members will be able to reserve the Ampera online or using their smart phones, just as they would any other of the 1,700 cars across the Capital.

Commenting on the partnership, Mark Walker, General Manager of Zipcar UK (left in above picture) said,  “ Thanks to the Ampera’s unique technology, on any given day, Zipcar members can be doing multiple short trips using only the stored electric battery power or longer trips powered by electricity generated by the on board range extender.  For the first time in an electric vehicle, members need not worry about range or recharging.

“To make this pilot possible – specifically the provision of dedicated charging points – we will be partnering with five London Boroughs: Camden, Croydon, Islington, Wandsworth and Westminster”.

European Car of the Year for 2012, the Ampera is a full-performance and full-speed Extended-Range Electric Vehicle, which can travel free of tailpipe emissions for up to 50 miles, after which it shifts to a petrol generator that produces electricity to keep it going an additional 310 miles on a full tank of petrol. Because many trips taken by Zipcar members are less than 35 miles, it is anticipated that a large number of journeys will use electric power only.

Stewart Gibbs, Vauxhall’s New Business Fleet Sales Manager, said, “With the Ampera, Vauxhall has brought to market the first electric vehicle that can go anywhere anytime.  It’s a vehicle designed to lower emissions and boost fuel economy, and partnering with an innovative company like Zipcar who is committed to helping the environment, is a partnership we’re delighted to be involved with.’’

Running costs of the Ampera can be much less than conventional cars on a pence per mile basis due to their lower emissions and tax situation. You can keep up to date with all the company car news by logging onto Business Car Manager every day.

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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