First Pre-Production 2012 Opel Ampera EV Rolls off the Line

The first pre-production 2012 Opel Ampera, or the European market version of the Chevrolet Volt, rolled off the line at GM's assembly plant in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, April 23, marking an important milestone in the project.

General Motors said that the it build more pre-production Amperas in the coming months. The pre-production vehicles will not be sold at dealerships, but used for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and control.

"We're right on target for producing the Ampera for European markets later next year," said Andrew Farah, Vehicle Chief Engineer for the Ampera "There's still work to be done, but being able to drive an Opel Ampera off our pre-production line is a great accomplishment for the teams here and in Europe."

The Opel Ampera is the sister car to the Chevrolet Volt sharing the same extended-range electric drivetrain, interior and basic sheet metal, but with some minor unique styling cues up front and at the back of the car.

Like the Volt, it can deliver up to 60 kilometers of pure electric
driving before a small displacement petrol engine /generator kicks in to recharge the battery and extend the range to more than 500 kilometers. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe by the end of 2011.

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First Pre-Production 2012 Opel Ampera EV Rolls off the Line

The first pre-production 2012 Opel Ampera, or the European market version of the Chevrolet Volt, rolled off the line at GM's assembly plant in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, April 23, marking an important milestone in the project.

General Motors said that the it build more pre-production Amperas in the coming months. The pre-production vehicles will not be sold at dealerships, but used for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and control.

"We're right on target for producing the Ampera for European markets later next year," said Andrew Farah, Vehicle Chief Engineer for the Ampera "There's still work to be done, but being able to drive an Opel Ampera off our pre-production line is a great accomplishment for the teams here and in Europe."

The Opel Ampera is the sister car to the Chevrolet Volt sharing the same extended-range electric drivetrain, interior and basic sheet metal, but with some minor unique styling cues up front and at the back of the car.

Like the Volt, it can deliver up to 60 kilometers of pure electric
driving before a small displacement petrol engine /generator kicks in to recharge the battery and extend the range to more than 500 kilometers. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe by the end of 2011.

»»  read more

2010 Beijing Auto Show: Chevrolet Volt MPV5

After we showed you some of the designs a few days ago, the plainly-named Chevrolet Volt MPV5 crossover concept has rolled silently out of the gates.

Big things first: power comes from GM's lithium ion T-battery and a 1.4 liter engine generator, as one would expect. The battery will provide 51.5 km / 32 miles per charge, while the gasoline generator contributes an extra 482 km / 299.5 miles.

So, what is it other than a smaller Orlando with a Volt nose-job and power train? An expander, that's what. This model is GM's next step in creating a new sub-brand within GM, much like Audi's upcoming e-tron line.

Other fun facts: the Volt MPV5 sits on 19s, seats 5, and is extra aerodynamic "thanks to its closed grille and aero-optimized lower air dam,...a full-underbody belly pan, along with rocker claddings, creased tail lamps and specially designed blades on the rear quarter".

It also offers more passenger space all-around, a glass-panel roof, and even provides up to 1,764 liters / 62.3 cu ft of cargo space with the back seats down (863 liters / 30.5 cu ft seats up).

While this new Volt vehicle is neat (and definitely important), it would have been nice to see a modern take on the Volt's face (which is SO 2008).

By Phil Alex

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GM Readying Chevrolet Volt-esque Extended Range Electric Minivan? Official Patent Designs

These here are official trademark designs of an unnamed Chevrolet compact minivan with very a Volt-like front- and rear-end styling cues - notice the shape of the headlamps and tail lamps.

As noted by our friends over at GM Inside News, the compact people carrier depicted in the drawings appears to be the same vehicle seen standing alongside the forthcoming Chevrolet Orlando MPV in a leaked video last year (see photo on the right).

It's been rumored that GM is planning to introduce a compact crossover prototype equipped with the Volt's extended range electric / gasoline powerplant at this month's Beijing Auto Show.

If true, it's almost certain that is the crossover we'll see at the Chinese motorshow that runs from April 23 to 27.

Via: GMI

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GM Builds First Pre-Production Chevy Volt EV

In an important milestone for GM's much-hyped Chevy Volt project, on Wednesday, March 3, the first pre-production Volt rolled off the assembly line at the firm's Detroit Hamtramck Assembly Plant. The previous examples of the Volt had been built by hand.

These pre-production models will not be sold at GM's dealerships, but will be used to assess and fix any problems in the production system as well as to train the workers in order meet the quality targets set by the engineering team.

"We have a very experienced workforce at this plant and through all of their preparation and training workers here have been given the privilege to take GM into the future with this car," said Detroit-Hamtramck plant manager Teri Quigley.

Expected to go on sale by the end of fall, the Chevy Volt offers up to 40 miles of pure electric
driving before a small-displacement gasoline engine/generator kicks in to charge the car's lithium-ion batteries extending the range to about 300 additional miles.

GM's happy-moment with the first pre-production Volt coincides with Nissan's announcement on the pricing for the all-electric Leaf that will sell for $25,280 ($32,780 minus a $7,500 tax credit).

The General has not released official pricing for the Volt, but unofficially, word has it that the car will be priced somewhere in the mid-$30,000 range with the federal tax credit.

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Geneva Show: Opel Flextreme GT/E Concept for a Sportier Volt

If you find the Opel / Vauxhall Ampera and consequently the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrids a little too plain and boring for your tastes, then you ought to a look at this handsome conceptual proposal from GM's European arm.

The 4.7-meter long Opel Flextreme GT/E concept with its coupe-like proportions and suicide-style rear doors illustrates how GM's extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology can be plugged into a larger size vehicle with a more emotional design DNA.

Despite its good looks, the concept model has been optimized for aerodynamic efficiency featuring among other things a pair of retractable spoilers hidden behind each rear wheel-arch that extend out 350-mm at speeds over 50 km/h or 31mph to guide high-speed airflow around the rear corners of the car, further reducing the amount of turbulence.

According to the Germans, the Flextreme GT/E achieves a projected drag co-efficient of just 0.22.

The study uses the Volt's E-REV drive system, meaning the front wheels are always driven by an electric motor producing 160HP (120kW) and 370Nm of torque with a 1.4-liter gasoline engine kicking in to supply electricity once the lithium-ion batteries are depleted.

Opel said that the Flextreme GT/E is estimated to offer performance similar to that of the Ampera with a battery-powered driving range of up to 65km or 40 miles and a total range of over 500km or 311 miles. Average fuel consumption is estimated at 1.6lt/100km or 147mpg US, with CO2 emissions of under 40g/km.

The five-door concept is said to be able to accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in less than nine seconds and achieve a top speed in excess of 200km/h or 124 mph.

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