Vauxhall is celebrating Euro NCAP test results which have seen its new Ampera electric vehicle awarded top marks.
The Ampera was found by Euro NCAP, the independent European consumer organisation which undertakes the assessment of new cars for safety, to have exceeded the points threshold required to gain top marks in all categories, including occupant and pedestrian protection, child safety, and in-car safety assist.
Euro NCAP introduced a mandatory side pole protection test in 2009, and the five-door Ampera is the first car tested to have earned maximum points for this test in which the car is hurled sideways at 18mph into a rigid pole to simulate a side on collision with objects such as telegraph poles and trees. The Ampera's rigid body cell passed this test with flying colours, and is designed to reduce possible uncontrolled deformation and dissipate high impact forces in the event of a collision.
The nine module, 288 cell battery pack in the Vauxhall Ampera was also tested extensively to see how it would behave in an accident. The centrally mounted battery pack performed as designed, remaining in location and preventing electrolyte from entering the passenger compartment. The design allows the high voltage battery pack to be disconnected by emergency services easily in the event of a crash.
Vauxhall has included a range of safety equipment on the Ampera, including four wheel anti-lock braking, traction control, brake assist, electronic stability control, curtain airbags, and a collapsible pedal assembly for lower leg collision protection.
The five-door, four-seater Ampera is due to go on sale around the end of the year, with the exact date to be confirmed. Its 148bhp electric drive unit is fed by a 16kw lithium-ion battery pack and delivers 25-50 miles of zero tailpipe emission electric motoring. In addition, it features a range extender, allowing journeys of over 300 miles on electricity power before requiring re-charging.
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