Europeans will get their own version of Chevy Volt in form of this car, the 2010 Opel (Vauxhall) Ampera. Teased by this nor so clear image, the car runs on GM’s Voltec platform and is a hybrid. It is powered by a lithium-ion battery which is solely enough for up to 60km range and a small internal combustion engine, maybe a diesel, for longer distances. The car will be revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.
Opel has announced Ampera as the name of its revolutionary extended-range electric car. The five-door, four-seat Opel Ampera will be revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show (March 5-15).
“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 60 km, the Ampera will run only on lithium-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 50 km daily.
Additional information on the Opel Ampera will be released March 3 at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.