Opel reveals an electric car and the production plans for Ampera at the same time in Geneva.
General Motors Europe president, Carl-Peter Forster, unveiled the Ampera, an extended-range electric vehicle at Geneva this morning. He also confirmed plans to put the car into production in late 2011 in both Opel and right-hand drive Vauxhall versions in the United Kingdom.
“The Opel Ampera further demonstrates GM’s leadership in the electrification of the automobile,” says Carl-Peter Forster. “Its ground-breaking Voltec electric propulsion system is the kind of game-changing technology the automotive industry needs to respond to energy and environmental challenges.”
The five-door, four-seat Ampera is influenced by Opel’s design language of “sculptural artistry meets German precision,” incorporating several styling cues from the Flextreme and GTC Concept show cars.
Ampera is a pure electric car. Its wheels are driven electrically at all times and speeds. For journeys up to 60 km, it runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery, and emits zero carbon dioxide — if you ignore how the electricity was generated in the first place. When the battery’s energy is low, electricity from an engine-generator extends the Ampera’s range to more than 500 km, Opel claims. The Ampera can be plugged into any household 230v outlet for charging, but the charging time for such low-voltage use is unspecified. GM Europe is analyzing the requirements of a recharging infrastructure for plug-in electric cars with energy companies, including Iberdrola of Spain.