HRH Prince Michael of Kent

The Vauxhall Ampera had a recent audience with HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who is an ardent car enthusiast. The Prince had a brief introduction to the car at Kensington Palace and then took a spin in this silent electric car. He commented how pleased he was with the ride and was the car available in Black?

The Vauxhall Ampera has a 350-mile all electric drive, has an impressive 0-62mph in only 9 seconds and a top speed of 100mph. Vauxhall is keeping their fingers crossed the car may become part of the Royal Household’s electric car of choice, being ideal for London’s low emission zone.

MINI E

The trial of the MINI E is moving into Phase 2 with the original 20 drivers handing back their electric cars in June. People living in a triangular geographical area between Andover, Oxford and West London are now being asked to take part in the next phase.

Twenty new drivers are sought to lease the two seater cars from September 2010 for six months and Southern Electric (part of the BMW-Group led consortium) will install a free home charging unit for each car, so drivers can top up.

The monthly lease fee is £330 a month, including VAT, insurance (subject to conditions) and maintenance and if you are interested you can apply via an online application process at the electric MINI website.

@ www.electricMINI.co.uk

Audi 1 e-tron

Audi has launched their A1 e-tron at the Geneva Motor Show. This innovative Mega City Vehicle (MCV) has an electric drive system with a range of more than 31 miles in city traffic and with a peak output of 102PS is also fun to drive.

The transverse electric motor takes the car from 0-62mph in only 10 seconds and onto a top speed of 80mph and being electric, does this with zero emissions. At the rear a small single-rotor Wankel engine is also used to increase the range of the car in exceptional circumstances.

This “range extender” is used to re-charge the battery and increases the range to 124 miles. This represents a fuel consumption of 148.7mpg and a CO2 equivalent of 45g/km and with its 18-inch alloy wheels certainly looks the part with its sporty appearance.

Flextreme GT/E

Vauxhall has released the official pictures of their extended-range vehicle (E-REV technology), the Flextreme GT/E. This car is 4.7 metres long yet is still capable of a top speed of 125mph and a 0-62mph time in less than nine seconds.

Flextreme GT/E

The sculpted looks and aerodynamic style of this electric vehicle give the car a coupe appeal and with 21-inch alloy wheels is designed to reduce wind resistance all round. The Flextreme GT/E has a battery powered driving range of 40 miles with zero tailpipe emissions and a total range of 300 miles, offering you a staggering average 175 miles to the gallon. Unlike a normal hybrid car the Flextreme GT/E uses a small petrol engine/generator to provide electricty whenever the battery is depleted and when in this mode CO2 emissions rise to circa 40g/km.

Flextreme GT/E

Vauxhall is set to showcase their Flextreme GT/E, four seat, five-door coupe electric car concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The new concept car includes the groundbreaking E-REV driver system, that has already been developed for the Vauxhall Ampera.

The Flextreme GT/E is bigger than the Ampera however reaches a maximum speed of 125mph and is also expected to offer a similar range battery powered driving range of 40 miles, with zero tailpipe emissions. With the small petrol/generator, the lithium-ion battery is re-charged and the range is extended to 300 miles, with CO2 emissions of less than 40g/km.

The car also promises a 0-62mph of less than nine seconds and average fuel consumption is expected to be around 175mpg. The Flextreme GT/E concept has a clean sweeping design and access to the cabin is enhanced using the rear-hinged rear door FlexDoor system, which will also be available in the new Meriva.

Peugeot i0n

Peugeot has started to take reservations for its new electric car, the i0n, which goes on sales at the end of 2010. This zero emissions electric vehicle offers a range of 80 miles on a full charge and will reach 80mph.

The i0n is ideal for urban driving and Peugeot sees this electric car suiting both private, fleet and local authority users. The car develops 84bhp, has four seats and can be re-charged in six hours using a conventional mains power supply, or recharged to 80% capacity within thirty minutes on “fast charge”. 

You can register your interest now @ www.peugeot.co.uk

Nissan LEAF

Nissan Motor Co has released the details of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first affordable, zero-emission car. This new electric car has been specifically designed to house a lithium-ion battery powered chassis and is a medium sized hatchback, seating five adults comfortably.

The car is due to be launched in Japan, the United States and Europe in late 2010 and promises to be practical, as well as incredibly “green”, by charging back to 80% of its full capacity in under 30 minutes via a quick charger. Charging at home takes eight hours through a 200V outlet. This new electric green car offers a range of 100 miles and is certainly a car for the future.