Now with Petrol hitting around £6.16 per gallon across the UK, it may be a good time to switch to Eco-friendly, lower cost, electric motoring.

The Range Extended Vauxhall Ampera − European Car of the Year − offers the timely solution.

The Ampera’s groundbreaking propulsion system offers all of the benefits of electric driving without any of the drawbacks. Providing the battery is charged overnight, there is every chance you could go for months without having to visit the pumps.  Add to this the on board range-extender which will supply electricity should the battery be depleted and you have the first electric car suitable for everyday use.

For as little as £1 the Vauxhall Ampera provides a battery powered emissions free range of 25-50 miles. This range is ample for the average daily UK commute which research shows is less than 30 miles.  For longer journeys electricity is produced via an on-board range extender/generator which seamlessly powers the car for a further 310 miles.

This exciting new technology motorists find compelling, as petrol and diesel prices shot up by around 2.5 per cent across the UK this month.  Petrol rose by 3.3 pence per litre while diesel increased by 3.1ppl, leading to average pump prices of 135.5ppl and 140.4ppl respectively.  These figures make harsh reading at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch, but it’s not just the Ampera’s astounding frugality that’ll help motorists cut their costs.

The Vauxhall Ampera pricing starts at £29,995, include a £5000 government Plug-In-Car Grant (PICG) and the car benefits from VED and congestion charge exemption too.  Company car drivers also prosper from a 50 per cent reduction in company car tax. The Vauxhall Ampera also comes with Vauxhall’s Lifetime Warranty and an eight-year, 100,000 mile warranty on the battery systems.

Read more articles about Electric or Hybrid Cars at Drive.co.uk/Electric-cars