Europe’s Greenest Driver Contest Offers a Free Opel Ampera

The Exciting Opel Ampera







Here is a fun post. Opel is going to challenge drivers to prove their "green driving" aptitude with the reward being a plug-in hybrid Ampera. The Ampera is Chevy Volts European sister that offers 40 miles range in electric only mode and then another 260 miles or so running the combustion engine genset. Wonder why Chevy didn't do likewise here in the States? This kind of contest makes for great publicity and marketing, in our opinion.

Press Release:

Ampera seeks an owner: Starting signal for pan-European fuel-saving event

When the ecoFLEX Experience kicks off April 1, Opel will be looking throughout the continent for the driver who squeezes every last efficient drop out of the Opel models’ fuel-saving potential. Drivers must first show their fuel efficiency smarts in an online quiz before moving to an Internet simulator to prove their virtual driving and gas-saving abilities. The best – the most environmentally friendly driver from each of the 20 participating countries – will be invited to a multi-day event in Sweden this summer. Under the supervision of professionals, the finalists will square off in a pan-European competition at the Sturup Raceway in Malmö. The greenest driver will then be named the ecoFLEX Experience champion. The winner can look forward to a special prize: one of the very first Opel Ampera production cars, which guarantee the environmentally friendly mobility of tomorrow. Interested participants can register online now.

The pre-production model of the Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV) recently successfully completed its first long-distance drive on public roads with a trip from Rüsselsheim to Geneva. The Ampera’s 16 kWh lithium-ion battery allows it to travel 60 kilometers electrically – completely emission-free. After that, a gasoline-fueled engine starts to generate electricity to drive the wheels for the remainder of the journey. And there’s plenty of driving fun along the way: The exceptionally quiet 111 kW/150 hp electric motor delivers 370 Newton meters of torque from a standstill. It accelerates the Ampera from zero to 100 km/h in around nine seconds and can reach a maximum speed of 161 km/h.