Vauxhall doubles up at business car

Vauxhall has scooped two “Techie” honours from the Business Car Fleet Technology Awards with the revolutionary Ampera winning best green development and Vauxhall RoadTrip named as best app. This is the latest in a long line of significant prizes for the ground-breaking Ampera including the current European Car of the Year, What Car? Green Car of the Year and Top Gear Magazine’s Green Car of the Year. The Ampera is the first electric vehicle suitable for everyday use. Its sophisticated propulsion system offers drivers all the benefits of electric driving, without any of the range anxiety associated with pure electric vehicles (EVs). Electricity powers the wheels of the Ampera at all times, with a 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack feeding an advanced 150PS electric drive unit, delivering between 25-50 miles of battery-powered electric drive and zero tailpipe emissions. But what sets the apart from other EVs on the market is its range extender, which boosts the car’s range by up to 310 miles. A small 1.4-litre petrol-fuelled engine/generator runs at optimum efficiency, generating enough electricity to power the electric motor (but not the wheels) and operates seamlessly as part of the Ampera’s powertrain. The results are a total driving range of up to 360 miles and, according to figures produced on the official European Test Cycle (ECE R101) the Ampera achieves 235.4mpg and combined tailpipe emissions of just 27g/km. Vauxhall’s RoadTrip app, available for free on iPhone and coming soon on iPad and Android, provides drivers with a fast, simple way to track their business journeys. The popular app, downloaded over 7,500 times to date, offers a range of smart features for tracking business miles, to make creating mileage claims quicker and easier. The app allows users to choose from any vehicle from Vauxhall, as well as other manufacturers, enter a destination and plan a route. The clever app can then work out any mileage rates, what the journey will cost and any other likely expenses, without draining your phone battery by using GPS constantly to track your journey. To download the RoadTrip app and see Vauxhall’s video on how to get the most out of it, drivers can visit its award-winning fleet website: www.vauxhallfleet.co.uk/toolbox/roadtrip. RoadTrip is also available on iTunes. “Vauxhall managed to impress the judging panel not once but twice, which is a major achievement as the Techies’ entries were stronger in number and quality than ever before,” said Business Car Editor Paul Barker. “The Ampera is a genuine game-changer in terms of low-emission vehicles suitable for businesses, and the excellent RoadTrip app offers great functionality and illustrates Vauxhall’s innovative approach to the business car market.” “We’re very pleased to have been honoured by Business Car magazine for the revolutionary Ampera and our popular RoadTrip app,” said James Taylor, Vauxhall’s Fleet Sales Director. “Vauxhall strives to meet the requirements of its fleet customers with innovative new products, of which Ampera and RoadTrip are just two examples.” The Techies, Business Car’s Fleet Technology Awards, now in their fourth year, are the only set of awards in the industry that specifically focus on honouring companies that use technology to help make the operation of business cars cheaper, cleaner, easier, safer and less time consuming across 12 categories. Judged by an expert panel, they focus specifically on technological innovation and expertise. From motor