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Opel Ampera Electric Car to be revealed at Geneva Motor Show. (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=183129)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Opel_Ampera.jpgWayne Gerdes – CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) – Jan. 26, 2009

Opel Ampera to feature GM Voltec propulsion (terrible name with the Volt’s technology)

Rüsselsheim -- Opel has announced Ampera as the name of its extended-range electric car. The five-door, four-seat Opel Ampera will be revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show this March.

“With the Ampera, Opel will be the first European automobile manufacturer to provide customers several hundred kilometers of non-stop electric driving,” said Alain Visser, GM Europe Chief Marketing Officer.

GM’s ground-breaking electric propulsion technology, called Voltec, operates differently from other advanced propulsion systems. For short trips up to 36 miles, the Ampera will run only on Li-Ion battery power charged via a standard 230v outlet. For longer distances, the car will continue to drive on electricity that is generated by a small internal combustion engine.

The Ampera will be well-suited to the daily driving schedule of most European customers. For example, approximately 80 percent of German drivers travel less than 16 miles daily.

Additional information on the Opel Ampera will be released March 3 at the Geneva Motor Show.

Opel Flexstreme

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Saturn-Opel_Flextreme_PHEV_Concept.jpg
Last years Saturn/Opel Flexstreme included a 1.3L Turbo-charged Diesel in a serial-hybrid
configuration plus a 16kWh pack for 40-miles of all-electric driving range.

That's a fantastic looking concept -- will it change as much as the Volt did?

“With the Ampera, Opel will be the first European automobile manufacturer to provide customers several hundred kilometers of non-stop electric driving,” said Alain Visser, GM Europe Chief Marketing Officer.

GM’s ground-breaking electric propulsion technology, called Voltec, operates differently from other advanced propulsion systems. For short trips up to 36 miles, the Ampera will run only on Li-Ion battery power charged via a standard 230v outlet. For longer distances, the car will continue to drive on electricity that is generated by a small internal combustion engine.

This is a bit confusing:

- after the 36-mile point, it's a stretch to consider driving on electricity generated on-board by a diesel as "electric" driving. Would driving a conventional AT be "hydraulic" driving?

- more importantly, are they saying that after the diesel fuel runs low one must stop and both refill the diesel tank AND recharge the battery? IOW, one could not just continue as before with the battery depleted?

Hi John:

___Same as the Volt although the AER specs appear to have changed a touch. Given the NEDC test cycle, I can bet GM will use a 12kWh pack and still pull 36 miles-AER from it on the NEDC.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I agree, I love the way the headlight run down like that. Looks like an angry Raccoon.

Why does Europe always get the better looking cars?

The lightning bolt Opel insignia seems doubly appropriate on this car.