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The Vauxhall Ampera has been awarded
five stars by the independent consumer organisation Euro NCAP (European
New Car Assessment Programme). This means that the Ampera is the first
electric vehicle from a European manufacturer suitable for everyday use
to achieve this result
The Ampera exceeded the maximum points
needed to achieve the top rating in all categories including occupant
protection, child safety, pedestrian protection and safety assist. The
five-door saloon also turned out top results in the side barrier test,
thanks to its combination of solid core body structure, rigid passenger
cell and efficient restraint systems.
The Ampera is the first car tested by
Euro NCAP to score maximum points in the side pole impact test,
mandatory since 2009. In this test, the car is propelled sideways at
18mph into a rigid pole that simulates a tree. Thanks to the outstanding
crashworthiness and stiffness of the Ampera’s core body structure,
occupants are very well protected. Crash impact protection is provided
by an extremely solid passenger cell. It has been designed to ensure the
least possible deformation and the largest possible survival space in
the event of a crash. To help dissipate high impact forces, the front,
sides and rear of the passenger cell are protected by energy absorbing
zones that deform in a controlled manner.
The electrical safety of the car was
also checked after all the impact tests. The battery pack of the Ampera,
comprising 288 cells in nine different modules, is located in the centre
of the vehicle, and the vehicle structure is built around it. Thanks to
the clever vehicle structural design, the battery pack, is efficiently
protected from both front and side crash impacts and remains in its
location. While post-crash electric safety aims to achieve zero high
voltage current in an emergency, the high voltage battery pack can also
be easily disconnected by rescue parties. After a crash, the Ampera is
required to have no electrolyte spilled into the passenger compartment,
and no more than seven per cent of the electrolyte can be found outside
the passenger compartment and the battery.
Active and passive safety features on
the Ampera include:
- Standard Four-wheel Anti-lock
Braking System, Traction Control, Electronic Brake- force
Distribution, Brake Assist and Electronic Stability Control
- Eight airbags including front-,
side- , knee- air bags as well as roof-mounted head-curtain air
bags that help protect occupants in a side or rollover crash
- Optional rear-view camera system
featuring a display integrated into the navigation system screen
- An ISOFIX child seat installation
system for the rear seating positions
- Adjustable head restraints on the
front seats which helps provide protection against whiplash injury
in the event of a rear-end collision
- Collapsible pedal assembly (Pedal
Release System) for lower leg protection in a frontal impact.
The pedal assembly is also collapsible
(Pedal Release System) for lower leg protection in a frontal impact. The
Ampera is based on GM’s global compact car architecture, on which the
Vauxhall/Opel Astra, another top Euro NCAP ratings winner, is also
built.
Electric mobility suitable for
everyday use
The Ampera is the first electric
vehicle to enable “go anywhere at any time” mobility. The five-door
saloon offers space for four adults and their luggage, and will be on
the market at the end of the year. A 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack
feeds the 150PS electric drive unit. Depending on driving technique,
terrain and temperature, it delivers between 25-50 miles of electric
operation with zero tailpipe emissions – ample for a vast majority of UK
commutes. But thanks to a clever range-extender, the Ampera can travel
for more than 300 miles on electric power without needing to stop at a
filling station or to re-charge.
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