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Ellesmere Port's bid to build Ampera hits snags

By Rob Golding Motor Industry 09 October 2009 15:02 Prime minister Gordon Brown’s personal crusade to get Vauxhall's version of the Chevrolet Volt petrol-electric plug-in hybrid – the Ampera – built in Britain's Ellesmere Port factory in 2012 is a dream delayed, CAR can disclose today.News that the UK Astra plant is the best in Europe, that the Astra's Delta platform will underpin the Ampera, and that Volt will be on US sale from 2010 had been taken to mean that Vauxhall would be churning out the cars in the north west within three years.But the prospect of an electric car industry growing up around the run-down Merseyside manufacturing site is not imminent, CAR has learned.'No Ampera to be built in Europe before 2015'Vauxhall insiders have made it clear that the car to be known as the Vauxhall/Opel Ampera in Europe will be an import from the US for at least five years. One senior planner told us: 'The US will be the sole source of Amperas until at least 2015.'Bob Lutz, GM's former product supremo who recently came out of retirement as a PR, said that the low value of the dollar made the US an ideal site for the manufacturing of export cars. And with forecast sticker prices of the range-extender electric car standing at a scary £35,000+, every price saving is vital to its marketability.The European market also needs time to get its electricity recharge infrastructure in place before it is worth making cars onshore in volume, GM high-ups point out.

Ford set to improve 2013 hybrid software

Ford said on Monday that it would recall its 2013 Fusion, C-Max and Lincoln MKZ hybrids, but not for the reason you might think. Like your cell phone software, the car’s software systems are getting an upgrade. Starting in August, owners of those cars will be notified of their option to bring the cars in for a software enhancement that will help even out the variability in mileage.

Unrestored '56 Porsche Carrera lands a spot at Pebble Beach concours

One Porsche at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance will be making its second appearance. And it will be easy to find--it's the one that looks a bit used. The 1956 Porsche 356 1500 GS Carrera coupe made its Pebble debut in 1956 at the road races.