Opel Ampera – Electrician with range
General Motors wants to conquer the automotive world with electric vehicles powered by internal combustion generators. Initial reactions from potential buyers indicate that the Chevrolet Volt and Opel Ampera could be big hits.
The future lies with electrification, or at least electricity - there is no doubt about this among car manufacturers. However, at the moment, fully electric cars are losing a lot in terms of range, and therefore in terms of functionality. It's true that the data shows dozens of miles more than most drivers drive in a day, but if we're spending astronomical sums on an electric car, it's not to drive it to and from work, but there's nowhere else to go. . . So for now, the future of internal combustion engine vehicles, i.e. hybrids, is definitely brighter. The current generations of these vehicles already allow the batteries to be charged from the grid, minimizing the use of the internal combustion engine. This type of hybrid, called a plug-in hybrid, was very interestingly interpreted by the Americans at General Motors. They separated the internal combustion engine from the wheels, relegating it only to the role of the driving force for the electric generator, leaving the wheel drive to the electric motor. In practice, the car runs only on the electric motor, but if we want to drive a distance of more than 80 km, we need to turn on the internal combustion engine. I already associate this with plug-in hybrids, because there you can only drive a limited distance on an electric motor, but the mileage similar to classic cars can only be covered with a running internal combustion engine. Americans, however, place more emphasis on the term "electric vehicle" because the small internal combustion engine does not drive the wheels, and the range per electric drive in the case of hybrids is less than the Ampera suggests, and in addition, in hybrids, the electric motor usually supports combustion, and in Amper it actually recedes. They even came up with a specific term for this type of vehicle, E-REV, which is meant to refer to extended range electric vehicles. Let's say I was persuaded.
The Ampera is a neat five-door hatchback with four comfortable seats and a 301-litre boot. The car has a length of 440,4 cm, a width of 179,8 cm, a height of 143 cm and a wheelbase of 268,5 cm. So it is not a city kid, but quite a family car. On the one hand, the style makes this car stand out, hardly retaining the recognizable character of the brand in it. The interior is a little more distinctive, despite the fact that the center console has a completely different layout than in cars with internal combustion engines. A tunnel runs along the entire length of the cabin, which in the back has two places for cups and a shelf for small items. Ampera equipment brings the car closer to the Premium class, offering, among other things, touch screens and a BOSE audio system.
The design of the car resembles a typical hybrid. We have batteries in the middle of the floor, behind them is a fuel tank, and behind them are “regular” mufflers for the exhaust system. Engines are ahead: they drive the electric car and the internal combustion engine, which Opel calls a power generator. The electric motor delivers 150 hp. and maximum torque of 370 Nm. High torque will allow the car to move dynamically, but will not be accompanied by the louder engine sound known from internal combustion vehicles. Ampere will move silently. At least for the first 40 - 80 km of the way. That's enough for 16 lithium-ion batteries. Long range forks are due to the fact that the amount of energy used is highly dependent on driving style, terrain and air temperature. After all, in winter we always have big problems with batteries. If the distance is greater, the internal combustion engine will start. Regardless of driving conditions and acceleration, it will still work with the same load, so it will only hum softly in the background. The internal combustion engine allows you to increase the range of the car up to 500 km.
A lot of research among motorists by various companies shows that for most of us, the range of the Ampera should be enough for a whole day. According to those quoted by Opel, 80 percent. European drivers drive less than 60 km a day. And yet, if it's a commute, we have a few hours stop in the middle to recharge the batteries. Even when fully discharged, it takes up to 4 hours to charge them, and we usually work longer.
The car's transmission allows you to change the mode of operation, offering four options that can be selected using the drive mode button on the center console. This allows the engines to be adjusted to the needs and driving conditions - differently for urban traffic, differently for dynamic driving in the countryside, and differently for climbing mountain roads. Opel also emphasizes that driving an electric car is much cheaper than driving an internal combustion car. With gasoline prices estimated by Opel at PLN 4,4–6,0 per litre, a journey per kilometer in a car with a conventional internal combustion engine costs PLN 0,36–0,48, while in an electric vehicle (E-REV) only 0,08, PLN 0,04, and when charging the car at night with a cheaper electricity tariff up to PLN 42. A full charge of the Ampera's batteries is cheaper than a full day of computer and monitor use, Opel says. There is something to think about, even considering the price of the car, which in Europe should be 900 euros. This is a lot, but for this money we get a full-fledged family car, and not a city kid with a limited range. At the moment, Opel has collected more than 1000 orders for the car before the official premiere in Geneva. Now Katie Melua is backing the car as well, so sales can run smoothly.
