Four years ago, if you wanted an
electrified car, you were forced into a G-Wiz. Which were rubbish. Now, you’re
spoilt for choice for electric-capable cars that are a true alternative
In the infant years of any technology,
different inventors propose diverse solutions. Look at the heterogeneity of
powered heavier-than-air flying machines in the decade after the Wright
brothers took off in 1903, or of smartphones in the decade after 1996’s Nokia
Communicator. But, in the end, some sort of consensus gets established. With
electrified cars, we’ve not yet recognisably arrived at that moment of convergent
evolution. Actually, because the technology offers so many possibilities, it’ll
be a long time before we do. If ever.
Anyway, it’s a pretty startling fact that
these three cars, all well-developed and fun to drive for several miles on pure
electric, are among us at all. Just four years ago, you couldn’t buy any
plug-in car in the UK. Only the dire G-Wiz and other cyclecars.
The
i8 offers excellent body control, responding quickly and precisely
In the Zoe we have a steel-bodied pure
electric car. And an essentially similar concept with the Ampera, but with less
battery, and an added range-extending petrol engine to generate power when the
battery’s flat. And then, oh boy, the i8. Like the Ampera, it can act the
front-drive EV till its battery depletes, but it doesn’t give its full supercar
performance that way. For the total effect, a mid-mounted petrol engine, itself
capable of generating power for the front motor, turns it into a full-range 4WD
supercar.
But because they need to save energy, all
three cars share principles. They roll along on the bare minimum of energy – at
steady speed, accelerating and then when you brake, scooping back kinetic
energy and reconverting it. Which means light weight, slippery aero, low
friction and a clever power unit. And doing these things with commitment means
going through the whole car, repackaging it so every system works optimally
with every other. It’d be a bodge to take a regular vehicle, rip out the normal
powertrain and stuff into its place something vaguely science-project.
The
Zoe represents an evolution, not a revolution, in electric transport
No, the depth and elegance of engineering
that inhabits these cars informs their aesthetics and deepens your relationship
with them. But it’s not all cerebral. They’re fun to drive too, each in their
own sweet way.
The i8 is green done theatrically. Its swan
doors allow the aerodynamic taper of the cockpit. You drop into its narrow,
minimalist but materially rich cab. Sure enough, you’re in a tight metaphorical
embrace with it as you drive, a sensory exchange. Even – maybe especially – in
its electric and eco-hybrid modes. You operate it with extreme concentration,
tailoring your inputs to maximize efficiency. You yearn to be worthy of it.
The
Vauxhall Ampera is a relaxing and easy car to drive
But… the devil adds his own option. Nudging
the transmission lever to the other side, you feel the dampers and throttle
tense up, the gearbox get more aggressive. Even the engine comes over a bit
guttural, thanks to some augmentation via the hi-fi – the auditory equivalent
of botox, but less risibly artificial. Now it’s a real sports car, cornering
sharply, clamping itself to the curve, accelerating like it really means it.
Did you know there’s even a second e-motor, bolted to the engine, tasked with
giving a pulse of torque to cover the lag before the turbo spools up?
At the other extreme of this trio, the Zoe
might be sold on the strengths of its eco and moneysaving figures. But, heck,
it’s just a brilliant urban supermini, full stop. It’s softly sprung, and its c
of g is worm-low. Full-electric drive gives it smooth step-off, quick-witted
and step-free acceleration and a perpetual, blissful silence. Even the cabin,
furnished in light colours and simple shapes, gently sponges your mind clean of
naughtiness.
