General Motors Confirms Sale Of Opel And Vauxhall To PSA For $2.3 Billion

Three weeks ago, rumors started circulating on the internet that General Motors was considering the sale of its Opel and Vauxhall operations in Europe to PSA, the holding group that owns Peugeot and Citroen. Today, those rumors were confirmed. PSA is buying Opel and Vauxhall for $2.3 billion.

The deal will make PSA the second largest automaker by volume in Europe behind Volkswagen. “We want to create a European automotive champion,” said PSA Groupe Chairman Carlos Tavares. “We will totally unleash the potential of the Opel and Vauxhall brands.”

Opel has been part of General Motors for 90 years. Letting it go is a bittersweet moment for The General. “This was a difficult decision for General Motors,” CEO Mary Barra said. “But we are unified in our belief that it is the right one.” GM has been losing money on its European operations for the past two decades.

GM will now limit its focus to North America and China. “For GM, this represents another major step in the ongoing work that is driving our improved performance and accelerating our momentum,” Barra says. “We are reshaping our company and delivering consistent, record results for our owners through disciplined capital allocation to our higher-return investments in our core automotive business and in new technologies that are enabling us to lead the future of personal mobility.

PSA’s Tavares was quick to assure Opel and Vauxhall workers that their jobs are not at risk. “We respect all that Opel/Vauxhall’s talented people have achieved as well as the company’s fine brands and strong heritage. We intend to manage PSA and Opel/Vauxhall capitalizing on their respective brand identities.”

PSA will continue to supply some models to Buick in the US and Holden in Australia. The Buick Encore small crossover vehicle and Buick Regal sedan are both based on Opel engineering. There is no word on how the agreement will affect sales of the Chevy Bolt in Europe, where it is known as the Opel Ampera-E. Reservations for the Ampera-E have been particularly strong in Norway.

The deal means that GM now has only 8 total brands in the global marketplace. Three of them are exclusive to China. PSA and GM will continue to cooperate on the development of battery electric and fuel cell vehicles. What no one is talking about is whether the deal could open a path for PSA to resume sales in America, a market it abandoned more than 20 years ago.

Source: Autoblog

Opel GT Returns! Coming To Geneva In March

Many people were not even born yet when the last Opel GT roamed the world’s roadways. Compared to today’s automobiles, the tiny little two seater was crude in a way that only those who had drivers licenses in the 60s can understand. But for the times, it stirred a lot of passion in the souls of auto enthusiasts. It was sometimes known as a “baby Corvette.”

When I say crude, I mean stone age technology. The base car came with a wimpy 1.1 liter push rod engine which made 67 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. Not surprisingly, most buyers went with the optional 1.9 liter overhead cam engine that produced 102 hp at 5400 rpm. When emissions regulations first went into effect in 1971, Opel reduced the compression ratio of the 1.9  liter engine used in the US, which knocked output back to a meager 83 horsepower.

The attractively styled coupe came with a 4 speed manual transmission as standard equipment. That was pretty hot stuff for its day. The car was in production from 1968 through 1973. A version of an updated car was introduced in 2007 and sold in America as the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky until 2010. If you can find a Sky with the turbo engine, grab it. They are much in demand by collectors.

Now Opel is back with an all new, thoroughly modern and highly innovative GT that will debut at the Geneva auto show in March. “Purebred, pared down, yet unashamedly avant garde, the GT Concept is even shorn of door handles and door mirrors, its breathtaking form clothing a classic front mid-engined, rear-wheel drive chassis that will appeal to driving enthusiasts,” reads the official Opel press release.

Mark Adams, GM’s vice president of design for Europe says, ”We created the GT Concept to capture the bold, emotional spirit of both the Vauxhall and Opel brands. It is dramatic, sculptural and full of innovations, which is our great tradition that we intend to continue…..[T]his GT Concept today [is] absolutely pure, minimalistic, yet bold and uncompromising. This coupe impressively demonstrates the continuous development of our design philosophy.”

The first thing you will notice about the new Opel GT is a prominent red stripe that begins behind the front wheels and flows up and over the doors to the rear of the car. Hidden within that stripe is a touchpad that operates the doors, which are hinged behind the front wheels rather than beneath the A pillars. It is unlikely the goofy red front tires will be included in the production car, assuming there is one.

The new concept will not be challenging many Teslas at the local drag strip. According to AutoBlog, it will come with a 1.0 liter turbocharged three cylinder engine in front driving the rear wheels through a 6 speed sequential gearbox. The triple makes 143 horsepower and 151 ft-lb of torquea, enough to propel the 2,200 lb car to 60 mph in under 8 seconds. It has a calculated top speed of 134 mph.

Not sure you can call such performance “exhilerating”, but its not far off the numbers for the latest generation Mazda Miata in terms of weight and power. Among enthusiasts, this would be known as a “momentum car,” meaning slowing for corners is something you must never do. It is meant to be driven flat out, foot to the floor at all times. Screaming up through the gears can be its own reward, even if overall forward progress is leisurely, relatively speaking.

No production plans have been released. No doubt the folks at Opel and its English cousin, Vauxhall, are anxious to see what sort of reception it gets from show goers in Geneva. If Gas 2 would like to send me to that event, I would be delighted to give you all my full written report.

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Photo credit: Opal via Autoblog.

Despite hype, Nissan Leaf outsells Tesla Model S 2-to-1

All eyes continue to be on how quickly the Tesla Model S has been accepted by consumers, beating the expectations of critics who said it was too expensive and that the EV range would always be a hinderance in places other than California. But among other electric vehicles, how do its sales stack up?

According to Hybrid Cars, the Model S will pass the 100,000-sales mark in December and be this year's top-selling plug-in vehicle. Consider that this large luxury sedan that just happens to be electric typically sells for north of the $100,000 mark. And consider, as they do, that about 60 percent or so have gone to American buyers and that means roughly 60,000 US buyers have picked up a Model S - that beats the sales of other large gas-powered luxury sedans. Tesla does not officially release monthly sales figures.

Despite the excellent year-to-date numbers, the Model S still hasn't caught up to the other big names among electrics, the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf. And it's estimated that if you factor in the first-generation Volt and its Opel, Vauxhall, and Holden derivatives, General Motors has sold just over 100,000 of its range-extender EV since it first went on sale in December 2010. Sales have been off significantly this year, mostly due to production stopping in spring to retool for the 2016 Volt that recently went on sale in some states.

But since the Nissan Leaf went on sale around the same time as the Volt, it's maker has managed to move almost twice as many, or about 200,000 cars globally. This, even as the Leaf's US sales were off more than 40 percent through November. Blame that on the Leaf's age, the 2016 model's noticeably longer range and that used Leafs are dirt cheap these days.

The bottom line is that while the Tesla Model S has been a hit as far as electric vehicles are concerned, it hasn't caught up to the popularity of the Nissan Leaf yet. And with a second-generation Leaf due in the near future and the Tesla Model X possibly affecting Model S popularity, it's too soon to see where that car's momentum will stop.

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Frankfurt motor show 2015 preview

New cars from Alfa Romeo, BMW, Ferrari, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz and many more will be seen at the September show

Jaguar's first ever SUV model is dubbed F-PaceThe new Vauxhall Astra is built in Britain

The 2015 Frankfurt motor show opens its doors on 15 September and Autocar will be there to bring you the very latest news, pictures and analysis from one of the most important motor shows of the year.

With new model launches confirmed from the likes of Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, the Frankfurt show is already shaping up to be full of exciting new metal. Take a look at the key cars coming to Frankfurt in our guide below.

Frankfurt motor show 2015 - the key cars

Alfa Romeo Giulia - Alfa's crucial BMW 3 Series rival was unveiled in Milan last month. It is powered by a Ferrari-developed V6 engine in its sportiest form.

Alpina D3 Biturbo - Following the release of BMW's facelifted 3 Series, Alpina has updated its D3 offerings to match.

Audi e-tron quattro concept - All-electric SUV concept previews Audi's upcoming Q6, which is due to launch in 2018.

Audi A4 - The fifth-generation A4 goes on sale in the UK this November, with new engines and evolutionary styling.

Bentley Bentayga - Bentley's first ever SUV model will cost from £160,200 when it goes on sale early next year.

BMW 7 Series - BMW's range-topper will go on sale in October and features a heavily reworked and lightweight chassis. A plug-in hybrid variant is scheduled for 2016.

BMW X1 - Second-generation compact SUV will be offered in both front and four-wheel drive forms for the first time. It goes on sale in the UK this autumn.

BMW hybrids - New hybrid variants of the 2 Series, 3 Series and 7 Series will reach the UK early next year.

Borgward SUV - The first model from reborn Borgward will be an SUV, which will go on sale next year.

Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo - Scale model shows off Bugatti's virtual racer, but also previews its new design language.

Citroen C4 Cactus M - Mehari-inspired concept car will previews a convertible version of the C4 Cactus.

Ferrari 488 GTS - Open-top Ferrari gets 660bhp from its twin-turbocharged V8 engine, and will go on sale next spring for around £200,000.

Fiat 500 - Prices for the updated 500 supermini start at £10,890 - the car will go on sale in the UK this September.

Honda Civic Tourer Active Life - Designed to show the practicalities of Honda's Civic estate, this concept includes bespoke features for cyclists.

Honda Project 2&4 - Radical track car concept gets its power from a MotoGP motorcycle engine developing more than 212bhp.

Hyundai i20 Active - Beefed-up version of Hyundai's i20 supermini is raised up by 20mm and will arrive next year.

Infiniti Q30 - Infiniti's Volkswagen Golf rival was first revealed in concept form in Frankfurt in 2013. It will go on sale at the end of this year.

Jaguar F-Pace - We've caught glimpses of Jaguar's SUV in its role as Team Sky's support car, but Frankfurt will mark its official public debut.

Kia Cee'd facelift - Set to go on sale in the UK this October, Kia's facelifted hatchback features a more economical range of engines.

Kia Sportage - Next-generation Sportage is moving upmarket in a bid to take on Nissan's Qashqai. It features styling inspired by the KX3 concept car.

Lamborghini Huracán Spider - Lamborghini has confirmed its open-top version of the Huracan will make its debut in Frankfurt.

Lotus 3-Eleven - Lotus's 450bhp sports car was unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and costs from £82,000.

Mazda Koeru - Mazda's five-door SUV concept is thought to preview a seven-seat version of the CX-5.

Mini Clubman - Mini's family-size model has grown again. It goes on sale later this year for a starting price of £19,995.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé - Mercedes has already confirmed that its three-door variant of the latest C-Class will make its debut in Frankfurt before going on sale at the end of the year.

Mercedes-Benz GLC - The successor to the GLK SUV, Mercedes' GLC will do battle with the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 when it goes on sale this autumn.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet - Four-seat luxury convertible will go on sale in the UK early next year, costing upwards of £100,000.

Nissan Zed concept - Nissan will preview its new Zed car with a crossover concept, which is due to be on sale by 2017.

Peugeot 308 R Hybrid - With PSA boss Carlos Tavares spotted testing the 493bhp hybrid, it's likely that a production variant of the 308 R Hybrid concept is coming.

Porsche 911 facelift - Porsche's facelifted sports car gets turbocharged engines for the first time, as well as interior upgrades.

Renault Mégane - Renault's crucial mass-market hatchback will go on sale early next year, and gets styling inspiration from the larger Espace and Talisman.

Rolls-Royce Dawn - Open-top variant of the Wraith Coupé will go on sale in the first quarter of 2016.

Seat Leon Cupra 290 - Seat's flagship Cupra gets a power boost to 286bhp. 

Smart Fortwo Cabriolet - Due to launch in the third quarter of this year, Smart's new open-top Fortwo comes with a folding fabric roof.

SsangYong Tivoli seven-seat - Larger version of SsangYong's Tivoli SUV will be previewed by a concept, dubbed XLV-Air.

Suzuki Baleno - The production version of Suzuki's iK-2 concept car takes the shape of a B-segment hatchback.

Toyota Prius - The fourth generation of Toyota's hybrid gets Mirai-inspired styling, and will go on sale early next year.

Vauxhall Astra - Vauxhall's new Astra will go on sale soon after its Frankfurt debut, with prices starting from £15,295.

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer - Estate version of the new Astra is due to go on sale in October, priced from around £17,000.

Volkswagen Tiguan concept - VW's second-generation Tiguan SUV will be previewed by a thinly disguised concept car in Frankfurt.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport - Following the concept shown earlier this year, Volskwagen says it will be putting the 261bhp Clubsport into production.

Stay tuned to this page as we'll be updating this preview with news of further cars at the show. And stay tuned to Autocar for all the latest Frankfurt motor show news.

Opel And Vauxhall Monza Concept Uses Volt’s Future Drivetrain

Even though the Frankfurt Auto Show doesn’t open its doors until mid-September, automakers are already rolling out the first official images and info of concepts that will make their debut. For GM the big news is the Monza Concept, shared by both Opel and Vauxhall, which will utilize a next-generation Voltec drivetrain, and could point the way forward for the plug-in hybrid.

Besides the questionable tactic of naming it after a subcompact car from the malaise era, I like what I see in the Monza Concept. A combination coupe, station wagon, and DeLorean, the Monza Concept is powered by a plug-in hybrid drivetrain similar to the one in the Chevy Volt and Vauxhall Ampera. But instead of the 1.4 liter four-cylinder generator, it uses an all-new 1.0 liter, three-cylinder all-aluminum turbo engine that is lighter and more efficient.

The 1.0 liter engine also forgoes gasoline for compressed natural gas (CNG). While popular in Europe, could be even more popular here in the U.S., the dangers of fracking be damned. No word on stats like fuel mileage or all-electric range, though the sweeping good-looks hopefully influence future Volt vehicles.

Also of note is a LED “projection technology that uses a door-to-door dashboard to display pertinent information. Drivers can customize this information to their tastes, and it looks pretty neat, though it is likely just vaporware for now. It certainly won’t contribute to the Volt’s promised price cut.

With the Monza Concept, we get one step closer to a next-generation Chevy Volt. What are your hopes for GM’s future plug-in hybrids?

Ampera becomes a police car in Northern Ireland

The Chevy Volt’s UK cousin, the Vauxhall Ampera, is joining the police force in Northern Ireland.

Vauxhall has handed over an Ampera to Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) as part of a trial of the revolutionary extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV).

The cutting edge vehicle was handed over at eDRIVE, an electric vehicle event sponsored by the Northern Ireland Government, Department of Regional Development, held at the Titanic Museum, in Belfast.

The Ampera is due to go on service with PSNI in Belfast city centre as an incident response vehicle.

“We’re looking forward to putting the revolutionary Ampera through its paces responding to incidents while also reducing our emissions and providing significant savings on fuel costs,” said Marcus Belshaw, Head of Transport for PSNI.

The lack of concern about range anxiety was key for the car being chosen for this task, even though charging point infrastructure is well developed in Northern Ireland: currently EV owners are no further than ten miles from a charger.

“Vauxhall is delighted that the Ampera is being trialled by PSNI, and we are confident that they will be impressed by the Ampera’s durability, performance and economy,” said Dick Ellam, manager, Vauxhall Special Vehicles.

Source: GM-Volt.com

Vauxhall Ampera Tries its Luck as an Ambulance Apprentice

The Vauxhall Ampera, which is the European version of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, is going to be incorporated into the emergency fleet of the United Kingdom’s NHS Trust. The United Kingdom’s Yorkshire ambulance service would like to see how vehicles like this could be incorporated into such a fleet and reduce its carbon footprint and fuel expenditure by 30% by 2015.

Richard Smith, the Fleet Manager for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “We are very excited to be the first ambulance service to trial an electric vehicle that will respond to incidents, reduce our emissions and provide significant savings on fuel costs.  As it has both electric and petrol power we are confident that it is a viable alternative.”

This is reminiscent of the Hong Kong police force’s decision to replace their gasoline-fueled motorcycles with Brammo electric motorcycles. Municpalities the world over are exploring alternative fuel and electric vehicles as alternatives to petrol-powered cars, as the price of oil inches ever higher. But will Americans ever see Chevy Volt cop cars or ambulances? We won’t hold our breath.

Source: CarScoops

Toyota Prius Plug-In wins 2012 sales battle in UK

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid was the top selling plug-in hybrid vehicle in the United Kingdom, with 470 sold since being introduced to the market in July 2012. That means the Prius Plug-in Hybrid outsold theVauxhall Ampera plug-in hybrid, Toyota says. The sales lead happened even though the Ampera was launched in the UK market three months earlier than the PHEV Prius. The Ampera is GM's European version of the Chevrolet Volt.

Toyota sold 12,840 hybrid vehicles in the UK, an increase of 15.2 percent over 2011. Adding three models to the lineup – the Yaris Hybrid, seven-seat Prius+ (aka the Prius V) and the Prius Plug-in joined the existing Prius and Auris Hybrid models – helped boost sales. The Auris Hybrid was launched in December and is the latest Toyota model to feature a full hybrid powertrain. It offers fuel economy of 76.3 miles per gallon (based on the UK's fuel economy guidelines) and CO2 emissions of 87 grams per kilometer.

The Auris Hybrid offers fuel economy of 76.3 miles per gallon.

Vaxhall is attempting to build consumer enthusiasm for the Ampera by offering UK residents a 30-day holiday-themed "satisfaction guarantee" on the Ampera. During that time, drivers can return the car with "no questions asked." In March of last year, the Ampera and Volt had won the European Car of the Year Award, but it is taking some time to catch on in the UK.

While the Prius Plug-in surpassed the Ampera in sales last year, the numbers are not much compared to the US market, where the Prius Plug-in is number two behind the Volt in 2012 plug-in vehicle sales. There's no clear direction in the UK market on how to further increase plug-in electric vehicle sales, since the government has burned out on offering incentives.

A study by two UK organizations states that giving consumers their own EV driving experience is the way to go. A report by the Royal Automobile Club Foundation and British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association says that the best way to put more EVs on British roads is by getting more of them into the rental market.

Video: UK Bans Vauxhall Ampera Ad, Calls It “Misleading”

Marketing a car like the Chevrolet Volt is hard. Is it electric? Is it a hybrid? How does it work? GM tried, with little success, to get across what the Volt really is (an electric car with an on-board gas generator). So when it came to marketing the European version, the Vauxhall Ampera, they skipped over the technical stuff…much to the chagrin of the UK’s advertising board, which has banned the Volt spot for being “misleading.”

Before you go any further, watch the advertisement below, and judge for yourself; is it misleading? Is it confusing? Knowing what the Volt/Ampera is, does this advertisement offend your sensibilities? My personal opinion…no, this ad is neither misleading nor confusing. For the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority though, the advertisement does not clearly explain how the Volt works, instead citing a 360 mile range as though that is how far it can go on a single charge.

As we know, the Volt/Ampera is officially rated at between 30 and 50 miles per charge, after which a gas-powered generator charges the battery. Remember this commercial? Well, it wasn’t too effective in explaining what the Volt does, nor did it help promote the Volt brand or its capabilities. Yes, after the initial electric charge wears out, these cars get middling gas mileage. But consider that Hyundai is allowed to promote a lineup of cars with 40 MPG, even though this is based on entirely unrealistic driving circumstances set out by the EPA. Seriously, who drives 48.3 MPH on the highway?

Then there is Ford, which has been blasting out marketing press releases for the new C-Max Energi, citing figures as high as 570 miles of range per tank of fuel. I’m not saying the C-Max can’t do it, but not a single person outside of Ford has driven the Blue Oval’s Prius fighter. In other words, I see this Vauxhall Ampera ad as just another marketing attempt to twist the truth into a favorable pretzel of unrealistic promises. And considering all of the politically-motivated-but-incredibly-untrue stories coming out of certain political parties regarding vehicles like the Volt, I dunno, I guess I am just willing to let this one slide.

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Source: Gas2.0

Owner of Nissan Leaf Opts For Range and Trades in Leaf for Ampera

When the 2011 Nissan Leaf launched at the end of 2010, many environmentally-conscious drivers took the plunge and decided to buy one, hoping to leave gasoline behind for good. 
For the majority of Leaf owners, Leaf ownership does just that. For some others, however, a lack of reliable public charging, unreliable range prediction and a few flat batteries has left them feeling let down about NIssan’s first electric car. 
We’ve tracked down one such person, a retiree, who decided that life with a Leaf was too stressful.
His solution? Buy a Chevrolet Volt, or rather a Vauxhall Ampera, a European-market version of the Volt with a different front end. 
Flat battery
Dan Green from the U.K. (name changed at his request) didn’t take his decision to switch lightly.  Unlike Chicago-based Paul Berrkens, who replaced his Leaf with a Volt after just one month of ownership, Green drove his Leaf for 18 months before he decided to trade it in. 
His reason for doing so?  Range anxiety.

Nissan Leaf: Lost Battery Capacity

“The Leaf’s dashboard range indication is a joke,” he told us. “I’ve been brought home twice on the back of a flatbed truck and almost not made it home at least 10 other times.”
Green is keen to point out however, that it isn’t all Nissan’s fault. Even with a home charging unit, however, he struggled with range anxiety.
“The (U.K.) charging network has failed to keep up with the sale of electric cars,” he said. “Although the tow truck drivers were friendly, being taken away on a flatbed truck turns a 1.5 hour journey into a 3.5 hour one. That’s okay if you’re on your own, but it doesn’t impress your passengers and doesn’t help the cause of electric cars.”
Kid gloves
While he loved the level of technology in the Leaf, and its integrated Carwings telematics and satellite navigation system, Green said the Ampera's backup gasoline engine made driving much less stressful. 
“Both times I ran out of charge it became obvious that I wasn’t going to make it home, so I left the motorway and took quieter roads rather than break down on a busy motorway,” he told us. 
In busy periods, driving much slower than everyone else on the freeway in order to maximize range became frustrating too, Green explained. 
For Green, that amount of worrying about range meant that driving to see friends and family wasn’t as enjoyable as it should have been. 
Something had to change. 

2012 Chevrolet Volt

Trade-in
“I walked into the local dealer, and they gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Green said. 
Because he had paid cash when he purchased the Leaf back in 2011, Green had the fortunate advantage of not having to worry about finance payments or lease schemes.  That, he speculates, along with having cash-in hand for the new purchase, gave him an extra bargaining chip when he traded it in for an Ampera.
“A few days later, I got a call from my Nissan dealer, asking how I was getting on with the Leaf,” Green laughed. “I had to tell them I’d traded it in for a Vauxhall Ampera. They were nice enough, but shocked.”
Better?
We asked Green to list what he prefers about the Ampera, and what he misses about the Leaf.  
Green says the Leaf has the edge when it comes to price and in-car technology, citing its Carwings system and satellite navigation system among the things he misses.



Source: Green Car Reports