Vauxhall Ampera shortlisted for World Car of the Year
The Vauxhall Ampera has made it onto the final shortlist for the biggest car award in the world, the 2012 World Car of the Year.
Only ten cars were chosen for the final shortlist and one will be picked as the best car in the world for 2012 in April.
Motoring experts from around the world will choose the overall winner of the award which will see the Vauxhall Ampera take on the likes of the Range Rover Evoque, Ford Focus and Porsche 911.
They will evaluate the cars on overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance as part of the voting process.
The Vauxhall Ampera, nominated alongside its sister car, the Chevrolet Volt, is the only car on the list to use electric power.
Designed as an extended-range electric vehicle, the Vauxhall Ampera uses an electric motor powered by a battery to power the car.
It can do this for up to 40 miles before a petrol engine kicks in, powering the battery on the move and extending the range of the five-door hatchback to around 350 miles.
It is this clever powertrain which has impressed judges and led to a nomination for the Ampera in the final countdown to the award.
Vauxhall will be hopeful of taking the top title after an electric car, the Nissan Leaf won the 2011 award. This is the first time the brand has a car in the final shortlist, but the identical Chevrolet Volt was named the winner of the Green Car of the Year award in 2011.
The new Vauxhall Ampera is available to order now from £32,000 after the government's eco-grant. A less expensive, £29,000 version will be launched later in the year.