Vauxhall Ampera vs Nissan Leaf

Vauxhall have recently announced an entry level version of the Ampera called the Ampera Earth. The Ampera is set to be very good competition for the popular Nissan Leaf. Both of these electric cars have very good features, but which one will come out on top? The cost of the Ampera earth will be £29,995 and this is after the £5000 government electric vehicle grant. The cost of the Leaf is looking a little kinder at £25,990, but not a huge amount of difference there. But the costs of the Nissan Leaf are set to drop in 2013, which should encourage a lot of people to go green.

The big difference between these two cars is the way that they run. The Nissan Leaf like a typical electric vehicle, it uses electricity only and had to be charged when the battery is dead. The charge time of the Leaf is anywhere between 1-15 hours depending on how much charge you need, assuming that you want it fully charged, it is going to take a very long time. The Vauxhall Ampera runs differently, you can charge it up overnight like a regular electric car, but you can put aside your fears of the battery running out as you are able to fill up at the pumps like a regular car. The Ampera runs in zero-emissions mode when it has been charged, but when it runs out it uses regular petrol to charge the electric engine back up.

I think this round goes to the Ampera; it combines convenience with looking after the environment. It also had very low running costs, particularly with shorter journeys as you can stay in zero-emissions mode. But don’t get me wrong, the Ampera has its bad points. The Leaf is much better value for money then the Ampera, the price of the Leaf is already around £4000 less than the Ampera, but it is also better equipped. With the Ampera you get the usual, Digital radio, Climate control, Bluetooth, Cruise control and Keyless entry. But these things are all very standard, anything else you will have as an extra which means more money. The Leaf comes with all of the equipment you could want and need; the only extras available are Solar panels and Parking sensors.

If you are looking to get into the Electric car market then both are good options, but we would recommend the Vauxhall Ampera. It has to be said that having convenience and peace of mind is not something that is found to often with electric cars, but the Ampera is different. As you do not need to worry about your range and the location of the next charging station, you have the freedom you would usually get with a petrol engine. Let’s not also forget that it is good for the environment and cheap to run!

Only time will tell which of these vehicles will win this electric car battle, but for now we have our money on the Ampera.