More EV's On The Way From Opel

Sleek and Sassy Opel Ampera










General Motors is planning more extended-range electric vehicles for Europe, including models positioned both above and below the Ampera, according to newly installed Opel/Vauxhall boss Nick Reilly. Each car will have its own distinctive styling, as hinted at by the Flextreme GTE concept unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show.

Although respectively based on the next-generation Corsa platform and the Insignia's Epsilon platform, the modifications required to accommodate the E-REV drivetrain more than justify unique styling for each car, says Reilly.

He adds that the third-generation Volt/Ampera will have a battery pack designed to last significantly less than the 10 years of the current car, and that it will be configured for easy removal and replacement. The aim is to reduce the price of E-REV models. The Ampera's price is pushed higher by the cost of its large battery pack as well as the sophistication of its drivetrain.

Concern over crash protection led to the Ampera's hard-to-remove battery pack design, but new construction methods and the desire to offer a more flexible battery choice has prompted a change of strategy, as has the realization that the cost of a battery change at 10 years may not be economically viable given the value of the car itself at that point. GM plans to offer buyers several battery choices. A lower range will allow for smaller battery packs and lower prices.

As for the prospects of the existing Ampera, scheduled to go on sale in Europe during the summer of 2011, Reilly says Opel has several sizable orders from European governments and fleets — enough to sell the 2011 allocation, which will come from the U.S. And London's Metropolitan Police may use Vauxhall Amperas for Olympic Games duties in 2012. Reilly says that the decision on which European plant will make the Ampera will be made in about a year.

Meanwhile, Opel's new city car, development of which has been restarted for a 2012 launch, will also be offered in battery-electric form in 2013, says Reilly. It will provide the brand with its first pure-electric model. It's believed that GM may be evaluating this version for sale in the U.S., giving it a competitor to the electric Fiat 500 under development with Chrysler.

Partly inspired by the ingeniously packaged 2004 Opel Trixx concept car, development of this sub-Corsa offering was abandoned until Reilly revived the project. He believes that buyers are now willing to pay more for a higher-priced compact city car if it's well finished, sophisticated and offers a wide choice of options, as demonstrated by the Mini, the Fiat 500 and the Toyota iQ.

"We've learned how to make money on small cars in Asia," he notes. The company appears confident that it can turn a profit from higher list prices, more option sales and by using the GM-DAT, Korea-sourced next-generation Corsa platform.

Reilly is keen to get a pure electric car to market as soon as possible, because he reckons that the market and the evolution of battery-electric-vehicles will happen much faster than analysts and some rival car companies believe. BEVs and hybrids could take as much as 15-20 percent of the market by 2015, he thinks.

A key driver is China, which is investing massively in battery technology, and Reilly believes the country leads the industry in electric vehicle R&D, closely followed by South Korea. Reilly predicts that the Chinese government will restrict car use in both Shanghai and Beijing for emissions reasons, among others, creating a market for BEVs.

Once this has developed, it will provide China with a strong commercial base from which to drive exports. Limiting the country's oil dependence is another reason for the push to electrification. The increasing willingness of local and national governments to incentivize electric cars will also speed up their acceptance.

The extension of Opel's eco-model range will provide a counter to the current range, which despite being relatively fresh falls behind in some areas in terms of diesel and CO2 emissions competitiveness, says Reilly.

That's partly because the current range of Opels is too heavy, he admits. "I would say we didn't recognize the need for weight reduction as quickly as we could have done. Weight was not a top priority when we were developing the Astra and Insignia [a.k.a. the Buick Regal], but it is now." Reilly says that GM is currently evaluating the benefits of slimming down the Delta and Epsilon platforms that they are based on versus starting afresh with new platforms.

Source: Insideline.com