REPORT: Vauxhall Ampera production gets snubbed in the UK

Where, exactly, the Vauxhall Ampera – the British version of the Chevy Volt – will be built is up in the air now that Magna, Vauxhall's new owner, has decided that the plug-in hybrid will not be built at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port factory. Prime Minister Gordon Brown had reportedly said that GM assured him the Ampera would be built in the UK, after U.S. production kicks off next year. But the Daily Mail is reporting that UK-based Ampera production will now likely be pushed back until the second-generation version comes along in 2015 or 2016. A "top-level source at General Motors" told the Daily Mail that the reason the Ampera will not be built in the UK right away is that GM expects low demand for the car there.

Interesting side note: the Daily Mail says the Ampera "is capable of 176 mpg." This is equal to 146.55 mpg in U.S. gallons; we have no idea where this number comes from.

[Source: Daily Mail]