Opel Ampera (Volt) headed for Geneva

[Z-06]

Linkity

GM Teases Opel Ampera EREV Prior to Geneva Autoshow

Car to be Built on Volt's Architecture

It was just two weeks ago that GM shocked the automotive world with the Cadillac Converj concept, the first vehicle adapted from the Voltec architecture pioneered by the Chevrolet Volt, and now the company is preparing to one-up itself with the debut of the Opel Ampera at the Geneva Motor Show. "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's Chief Marketing Officer.

Built on the same Voltec platform as the Chevrolet Volt, the Ampera is an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle that will travel up to 60 km (37 mi) on electricity from its battery pack before a gasoline engine kicks on to generate electricity to power the wheels. The battery pack will recharge from a standard 230-volt outlet and is expected to provide more than enough power to allow most European drivers to make their daily commute without the gasoline engine ever starting up. According to GM's research, 80% of German drivers travel less than 50 km per day.

The four-seat, five-door Opel Ampera will debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3, and further details about the car's capabilities and production schedule should be announced then.

Source: GM

[Bimmer325]

Looks uncomfortably close to the Volt. I hope this isn't a different front clip kind of deal, but it looks that way from this picture.

[turbo200]

from the picture the front clip is modified only, not even new headlamps. bumper, bonnet and grille have changed. otherwise, it's a volt. not necessarily a bad thing, but i would have liked to see flextreme become the opel voltec car. though that may have just been a picture to the new astra.

[Bimmer325]

Yeah, I just realized that. Even the headlights are the same.

[pow]

The US needs this car more than Europe does. They already have diesels and ecoFLEX Opels.

[ZL-1]

Hurray for rebadges!

Edited January 27, 2009 by ZL-1

[Drew Dowdell]

uhm... are they selling the Volt in Europe? If not, who cares if it's a rebadge?

[cire]

It's a Volt with an Opel grille treatment. I am a little disappointed. I was expecting a production version of the Flextreme Concept. It does make sense considering GM's financial situation. I suppose the money is too tight to release something with a unique design for Europe. Selling the Volt under the Opel banner (and I would assume Vauxhall for Britain) would allow GM to justify the price of the vehicle in Europe (I am assuming Chevy is considered to be more of a bargain brand in Europe while it is considered more of just a mainstream brand in the U.S.; the Volt would definitely be a harder sale there if that is the case). I have to admit that the car looks cool whether it's sporting the Chevy grille or the Opel grille. The name is totally lame though; it sounds like GM is reaching too much to merge a word with an electrical reference (Amp) with Opel's moniker system (all names ending in "A"). I think "Volt" would have been appropriate for Opel's version also, especially if the car will be an Opel/Vauxhall exclusive in Europe/Britain. The Volt name would make the vehicle stand out more from the other products offered by Opel/Vauxhall.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

uhm... are they selling the Volt in Europe? If not, who cares if it's a rebadge?

+1...

Looks plenty attractive to me too.

[the_yellow_dart]

Put the vehicle in the best brand for each market. Hell, make a Buick Ohm-ega too if it will make the Chinese happier.

[§carlet §wordfish]

I thought Ampera would be the perfect name for a Buick E-Flex car. Now they've wasted it. What happened to the Flextreme?

[ZL-1]

What happened to the Flextreme?

Maybe a victim of the development dollar crunch? I am a little disappointed, as I was expecting a production version of the Flextreme instead of having its front-end grafted onto a Volt body...

[Oracle of Delphi]

Maybe a victim of the development dollar crunch? I am a little disappointed, as I was expecting a production version of the Flextreme instead of having its front-end grafted onto a Volt body...

Desperate times, call for desperate measures ...

[ZL-1]

Desperate times, call for desperate measures ...

Yep, I thought this thing would be the result of the current crunch...