French duo Bernard Darniche and Joseph Lambert finished first, beating a field which included a Tesla Roadster sports car, Renault Fluence Z.E., Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Peugeot iOn. The remaining three Amperas in the top ten finished in third, seventh and eighth place.

The endurance event, which covers 512 miles, is designed to test fuel consumption as well as timing the vehicles between check points.

Vauxhall/Opel’s director of e-mobility, Enno Fuchs, commented: ‘The Ampera’s success in this versatility contest under very challenging conditions proves its impressive balance between durability and fuel efficiency. This underscores our leadership role in the field of alternative propulsion.’