Ampera-E defintiely not coming to the UK

[directhex]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/vauxhal...-as-a-vauxhall

Guess there's no demand. Meanwhile Tesla have half a million pre-orders worldwide for their Ampera-E competitor.

[kalniel]

Odd decision. They seem to imply not worth creating RHD models, but surely when everything's electric it's even easier to convert between the two?

[directhex]

Odd decision. They seem to imply not worth creating RHD models, but surely when everything's electric it's even easier to convert between the two?

I don't see anything inherently asymmetric about the design, which would prevent a RHD version - just the usual swapping over of the central console. If the battery stuck up a bit on the passenger side for example, it might make sense - but it doesn't.

[Zak33]

Vx will skip this E-car and await the next gen

Marketing cost, dealer prep and training costs and ulitmately a loss on all of them makes it less succesful than you'd think in the UK

Tesla cant be compared.

Toyota do well with Hybrid .. they're a better comparison to Vx in terms of win or lose

Toyota do it for a profit, Vx prolly would lose.

Also the 2020 requirements for CO2 will be met by the Vx range without an E car.

http://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/t...s/index_en.htm

[kalniel]

Loss, sure, but can they afford not to, given the eco-credentials it gives to the company as a whole? I guess they're sort of safe as long as Ford don't, but there's meeting the actual requirements and there's being perceived to go beyond them.

[directhex]

Tesla cant be compared.

You don't think I can compare Tesla's $35000 small family 200+ mile EV with GM's $35000 small family 200+ mile EV? You don't think the press, and motorists in every RHD territory, will be making that comparison?

[Zak33]

You don't think I can compare Tesla's $35000 small family 200+ mile EV with GM's $35000 small family 200+ mile EV? You don't think the press, and motorists in every RHD territory, will be making that comparison?

not really

because its not coming here so there's nothing to compare sadly for you E boys

Tesla is all electric and has the marketing fully behind the concept. Which is right. Vx is a petrol/diesel brand with it's electric foot in the water and we all know that's dangerous ;-)

Toyota are here trying hard... but Ampera isn't going to be.

[badass]

Odd decision. They seem to imply not worth creating RHD models, but surely when everything's electric it's even easier to convert between the two?

Not really. Tesla as a brand is known for making innovative, fast exciting high performance electric cars using cutting edge technology. The brand is run by someone known for their long term vision and to do good things for the human race

GM/Vauxhall are known for making unreliable underpowered cheap and nasty cars that are boring to look at, drive and be in that only embrace technology when they have no choice but to do so. They are run by directors only interested in lining their own pockets.

[Zak33]

Not really. Tesla as a brand is known for making innovative, fast exciting high performance electric cars using cutting edge technology. The brand is run by someone known for their long term vision and to do good things for the human race

GM/Vauxhall are known for making unreliable underpowered cheap and nasty cars that are boring to look at, drive and be in that only embrace technology when they have no choice but to do so. They are run by directors only interested in lining their own pockets.

you go tell 'em big boy.. you go tell 'em

Mr Musk is a trier I grant you, but I do assume he's trying to make a long term pocket lining profit too

after all... he's already got a few quid...... and he wasn't born with it all on a spoon

[directhex]

GM/Vauxhall are known for making unreliable underpowered cheap and nasty cars that are boring to look at, drive and be in that only embrace technology when they have no choice but to do so. They are run by directors only interested in lining their own pockets.

Nah, in fairness, the Volt/Ampera was absolutely revolutionary when it shipped. All the competition in that sector - VW, Audi, Toyota, Mitubishi, Ford, BMW, etc - just made Priuses with big batteries. And I can say quite comfortably that my Volt is a thousand times nicer around town than something like a Passat.

[DanceswithUnix]

Vx will skip this E-car and await the next gen

Marketing cost, dealer prep and training costs and ulitmately a loss on all of them makes it less succesful than you'd think in the UK

But this is a market step-change, there seems to be a genuine hunger for it out there. I know people with plugin cars, and one common theme is that people are changing their car brand as part of the swap not through dissatisfaction with their previous cars but through lack of choice having decided to go plug-in. Car brand change is supposedly fairly rare, people tend to be really conservative and stick with what they know (or think they know).

If Vx want to push customers into the arms of their rivals, good luck to them getting them back.

[Zak33]

I think they're more focussed on the new 7 and 8 speed autos, v low CO2 petrol cars and increasing their presence in the SUV market tbh

but the largest issue is product knowledge, training and workshop ability to maintain the E vehicles. With the previous version, only dedicated retailers were authorised to sell and maintain the cars and that's right and proper if small retailers cant accommodate the staff/space/training in their current regime

but that doesn't create a good network for the buying/driving clientelle.

In short, the infrastructure is as expensive and tricky as the car can be itself.

[Zak33]

as an aside.. a totally odd addition to this debate, outside the E vehicle subject BUT interesting....
Opels 2.0 diesel with 200ps is now.... a marine engine

showing that they ARE looking into different markets

OXE engines from Sweden use the Opel 2.0 D 200 horse engine.

http://www.oxe-diesel.com/