GM rolls out another electric car

Opel Ampera

The Opel Ampera electric extended-range vehicle made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show Tuesday, March 3, 2009.

The five-door, four-seat Ampera will go into production in late 2011. The Ampera will also be offered with right-hand drive in the United Kingdom by Opel's sister-brand, Vauxhall.

The Ampera is an extended range electric vehicle based on the Voltec technology used in the Chevrolet Volt. Equipped with a 16 kWh Li-ion battery pack, the five-door, four-seat hatchback has a battery-powered range of up to 60 km (37 miles) (MVEG cycle). An on-board gasoline/E85-fueled engine-generator extends the Ampera’s range to more than 500 km (311 miles).

GM will manufacture the Ampera’s battery pack will be manufactured by GM at the first lithium-ion production facility to be operated by a major automaker in the United States. (Earlier post.) More than 220 lithium-ion cells in the T-shaped pack provide power.

Recharging uses a standard 230V outlet. GM Europe is analyzing the requirements of a recharging infrastructure for plug-in electric cars with energy companies, including Iberdrola of Spain.

The electric drive unit delivers 370 Nm of instant torque, the equivalent of 150 horsepower, zero to 100 km/h acceleration in around nine seconds, and a top speed of 161 km/h (100 mph).

Approximately 80 percent of German drivers travel less than 50 km daily. Opel estimates that an electrically driven kilometer in the Ampera will cost about one-fifth compared to a conventional gasoline vehicle, at current fuel prices.