The Ampere electric car, officially the Ampere 1 from Ampere Motor USA, was unveiled as the world's first electric convertible priced at just $9,900. A lightweight three-wheeled roadster shown at CES Las Vegas, it pairs an exotic-sports-car look with race-car-derived engineering, up to 150 miles of range on the upgraded battery, and a price designed to put electric driving within reach of the masses.
What is the Ampere 1?
Ampere Motor USA unveiled the Ampere 1 as the world's first electric convertible, priced at only $9,900. What sets this ampere car apart is not just its price but also its character: it is built to be a fun car to drive, and it was exhibited at CES Las Vegas. The goal, in the company's own words, was an electric car that is affordable to as many people as possible while still feeling like an exotic sports car.
Is the Ampere a car or a motorcycle?
Technically, the Ampere 1 is a three-wheeled car. Depending on your country of residence, it can be classified as a motorcycle or an autocycle. The base model is an open-top roadster, but you can add a removable hardtop for when the weather does not agree with your plans for an open-air drive. You can drive it for up to 100 miles per full charge, with an optional 150-mile range battery upgrade available, and it recharges in about three and a half hours from a standard household outlet.
What race-car technology is inside?
Tony Chan, Ampere Motor USA's CEO, said: "We wanted to make an electric car that is affordable to as many people as possible, so we designed the Ampere 1 to be simple and practical. At the same time, it's also stylish like an exotic sports car and really fun to drive. Our team has been driving race cars for over 20 years, so we use a lot of race car technology in this car. It's built with a very strong and lightweight race car derived tubular chassis and a double wishbone suspension similar to that of luxury sports cars." The teardrop body also houses a carbon-Kevlar belt drivetrain. You can read more on Carscoops and Designboom.
Explore affordable and exotic electric cars at TheArsenale
The Ampere 1 proved that an affordable ampere sports car could still feel special. For more renewable-energy machines, browse TheArsenale's electric vehicles collection and its cars collection. Compact and exotic electric options include the Duo by TheArsenale electric microcar, the Apex AP-1 electric sports car, and the Smart Bleu by TheArsenale electric car.
