Vauxhall Flextreme GT/E

Vauxhall has announced it plans to unveil the Flextreme GT/E at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The British manufacturer hopes the dramatic concept will boost its credentials as a leader in environmental vehicles and demonstrate how electric vehicle technology (E-REV) can be plugged into cars of all sizes.

The new Flextreme GT/E combines dramatic design with environmental technology. Vauxhall also claim the concept will have an estimated top speed of 125mph whilst conserving energy and extending the driving range.

Exterior Design:
Every inch of the Flextreme GT/E has been designed with style and performance in mind. The sleek and aerodynamic Flextreme GT/E is dramatically styled with its muscular, sculptured bodywork, wing-shaped lights front and rear, distinctive nose and grille and ‘floating’ C-pillars.

The new trapezoidal grille with its large Vauxhall emblem doubles as a socket for charging the Flextreme GT/E’s battery pack whilst new rear-hinged FlexDoors (as seen in the new generation Meriva) will provide access to the cabin.

The door handles on the Flextreme GT/E has been replaced by light sensors to preserve the vehicle’s clean exterior looks. These will trigger the doors to open when covered by the driver’s or passenger’s hand. Narrow 21’’ alloy wheels have also been fitted to the vehicle to reduce wind resistance.

Powertrain
The Flextreme GT/E concept includes the groundbreaking E-REV drive system originally developed for the Vauxhall Ampera. Despite its bigger size, the Flextreme GT/E is estimated to offer a performance similar to that of the Ampera with a battery-powered driving range of up to 40 miles and zero CO2 tailpipe emissions. Average fuel consumption is estimated at 175mpg, with CO2 emissions of less than 40g/km.

Unlike a hybrid vehicle, the wheels of the Flextreme GT/E are powered at all times by electricity. For typical journeys up to 40 miles, energy is supplied by a T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack which is located under the floor and rear seat.

However, unlike a battery-only electric vehicle, the Flextreme GT/E eliminates any possibility of being stranded without power. The small petrol engine/generator is engaged to provide electricity whenever the battery’s supply becomes depleted and the driving range is extended to more than 300 miles.

Vauxhall say the Flextreme GT/E concept is a logical next step towards developing a strategy for the electrification of the car. The new Flextreme GT/E will debut at the Geneva Motor Show on 2nd March.

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Glenn Nutsey