We are all aware that our dependence on oil should be reduced, petrol prices are high and the environmental impact of cars is severe. The major car manufacturers are now responding to the demands for greener cars and the CO2 emissions of new cars are now much lower than previous generations. However, petrol free cars are seen as the real future. Car manufacturers are currently experimenting with a variety of fuels, from hydropower to vegetable oils and LPG. Electric powered cars are also now being seriously considered as the cars of tomorrow and Vauxhall, one of the largest UK car manufacturers, has recently revealed plans to launch a range of electric cars.

The first production car will be called the Ampera. The UK government are keen for Vauxhall to choose their Ellesmere Port plant as the main European manufacturing base for this and all subsequent electric powered cars.

The plant currently employs over 2000 workers and the recent sale of Vauxhall by parent company GM to Canadian parts manufacturer Magnus has thrown the future of the UK Vauxhall sites into doubt. The Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business Secretary Lord Mandelson are currently in talks with Magnus about a significant loan amount in order to secure the future of the sites, and the Prime Minister is quoted as saying that he "hopes the (Vauxhall) plant will become one of the leading electric car makers in Europe".

The figures released by Vauxhall (through previous parent company GM) are ambitious. They anticipate building around 200,000 plug in cars each year up to 2015. Some tax breaks have already been granted meaning research and some production is already underway. Of course the success of the electric car will depend on the Government or private enterprise being able to install sufficient plug in points at areas right across the UK. The Vauxhall Ampera will be able to be plugged in to a standard UK plug point in the home, and the manufacturer is already in talks with the electricity generating giants to asses how they will cope with this upsurge in demand.

The Vauxhall Ampera has already been revealed and features a stylish design. It has been created so that aerodynamics play a maximum part in the cars efficiency, providing emission free transport in a luxurious and attractive five seat motor vehicle. GM has been working on electric engines for a number of years and believes it has developed a uniqueVoltec electric propulsion system that will deliver performance similar to that of petrol cars. Journeys of 40mph and under will be powered by the 16kWh lithium battery and at speeds above this the power will be delivered by the cars on board engine generator.

The range of the Ampera will be around 300 miles in normal driving conditions and it is expected to launch in 2012. This is great news for any consumer who is conscious about the environmental impact of their car and who wants to upgrade to a more environmentally friendly form of transport.