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That is my hand-controls, as I'm disabled (paralysed from chest down). It's pull to accelerate and push to brake
Vauxhall Ampera
- Thread starter mr tommo
- Start date
That is my hand-controls, as I'm disabled (paralysed from chest down). It's pull to accelerate and push to brake
Soldato
- Joined
- 29 Jun 2004
- Posts
- 12,957
That is my hand-controls, as I'm disabled (paralysed from chest down). It's pull to accelerate and push to brake
Amazing.
I learnt something new today. Thank you for sharing that.
Soldato
Afternoon Robbie. I had it for around three months; it had to go back a little earlier than planned. We have run the Volt previously for longer though, so it's known territory.
I did some 1700 miles in it in total, not a great deal really. It was used daily though but primarily just for my relatively short commute and then lots of longer trips elsewhere.
Not opting for the air dam was a great idea. It would snag on everything, ridiculously low. Surprised they signed it off. Even dips in the road could cause it to ground. Mine got chewed up very quickly as there's a road here with a series of speedbumps on it and it would drag its way across every one.
Your EV range sounds right and similar to what I saw. When it was new and colder it said 33-35 but after the temperatures went up it was more like 40-44 miles. Plenty, really, but I wished it was longer.
The buttons were one of my major gripes. That and the lack of Bluetooth music support for my phone, the painfully slow and oft-useless sat-nav and a few other bits.
Still, a good car. Just too dramatically different and poorly marketed to be a real success.
Last edited:
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Good points, Lashout.
I had to do lots of research into the Ampera before I was sufficiently knowledgeable that it would fit into my usage scenario.
Unfortunately it's been my first experience with the Vauxhall 'machine', and I'm...'unimpressed' (to put it mildly).
In no particular order:
- Called to make an appointment with Wimbledon Vauxhall (as they're my nearest Ampera dealer) and after three attempts, the call-centre booked me an appointment with the Sales manager who 'would deal with my Ampera and Motability questions'. When I got there I was greeted with blank faces and shrugs. I was then told that 'He doesn't see customers, dunno who booked that for you. The Ampera guy is off today, and he has the demo car.' I then had to wait over an hour for the Motability guy to be free. Useless.
- When I took delivery of the car, not one function was explained (luckily I'm an obsessive researcher, really)
- I went to use the windscreen washers - didn't work. Turns out the fuse was missing. Yep, apparently this sailed through the PDI.
- Spoke to the dealer who said (eventually) 'We will put one in the post'. Five days later and nothing.
- Complained to Vauxhall head office support team, who said 'I'll get back to you in the morning'. Three days later and nothing.
How on earth do they survive?
The car also has a few strange omissions:
- Drivers side window the only one with auto-close.
- Bonnet doesn't have gas-struts
- Seats have pretty basic adjustment
- No electric boot open/shut or side mirror retract
- No auto wipers
- No Xeon/HID/LED front lights
- No dual-zone air-con, and no rear vents at all.
- Sat Nav is beyond rubbish (so I hear, I don't have it thankfully)
- Relatively poor quality interior plastics
These are (for some) big deal breakers. It's a shame, as the technically the car is brilliant, and it really is extremely refined. I imagine a lot of these were down to cost and weight issues, but really they just make the car look a bit too compromised.
Saying all that though, I love it and (from what I read on the community forums) so do the owners. Vauxhall/Opel really didn't seem to give it much of a chance.
I had to do lots of research into the Ampera before I was sufficiently knowledgeable that it would fit into my usage scenario.
Unfortunately it's been my first experience with the Vauxhall 'machine', and I'm...'unimpressed' (to put it mildly).
In no particular order:
- Called to make an appointment with Wimbledon Vauxhall (as they're my nearest Ampera dealer) and after three attempts, the call-centre booked me an appointment with the Sales manager who 'would deal with my Ampera and Motability questions'. When I got there I was greeted with blank faces and shrugs. I was then told that 'He doesn't see customers, dunno who booked that for you. The Ampera guy is off today, and he has the demo car.' I then had to wait over an hour for the Motability guy to be free. Useless.
- When I took delivery of the car, not one function was explained (luckily I'm an obsessive researcher, really)
- I went to use the windscreen washers - didn't work. Turns out the fuse was missing. Yep, apparently this sailed through the PDI.
- Spoke to the dealer who said (eventually) 'We will put one in the post'. Five days later and nothing.
- Complained to Vauxhall head office support team, who said 'I'll get back to you in the morning'. Three days later and nothing.
How on earth do they survive?
The car also has a few strange omissions:
- Drivers side window the only one with auto-close.
- Bonnet doesn't have gas-struts
- Seats have pretty basic adjustment
- No electric boot open/shut or side mirror retract
- No auto wipers
- No Xeon/HID/LED front lights
- No dual-zone air-con, and no rear vents at all.
- Sat Nav is beyond rubbish (so I hear, I don't have it thankfully)
- Relatively poor quality interior plastics
These are (for some) big deal breakers. It's a shame, as the technically the car is brilliant, and it really is extremely refined. I imagine a lot of these were down to cost and weight issues, but really they just make the car look a bit too compromised.
Saying all that though, I love it and (from what I read on the community forums) so do the owners. Vauxhall/Opel really didn't seem to give it much of a chance.