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Opel Ampera Official Picture Released

March 1st, 2009 | Posted in: Images, Opel, Video

Amidst the gloom and doom of global financial collapse, and despite the auto industry being among the hardest hit, the show must go on.

GM will be unveiling the European sister car to the Chevy Volt on March 5th at the Geneva Auto Show. Called the Opel Ampera, the car will have district Opel styling and share the same extend-range electric (or Voltec) drivetrain as the Volt. Reports indicate GM may build the Opel initially in Detroit.

The car will travel 40 miles on pure electricity with a full charge and have a gasoline-powered electric generator allowing several hundred additional miles of driving if needed.

Today GM released this brand new photo of a rather gorgeous car.

Click the image below to see wallpaper sized image:

And here is a video of GM’s Volt vehicle line executive Frank Weber discussing it:

Posted by: Lyle

84 Responses to “Opel Ampera Official Picture Released”

Joe Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 8:18 am

I’m number one for today. Good morning to all.

I agree. It’s a great looking car.

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Dave K. =D~ Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 8:26 am

hi Joe #1,

“…great looking car”

_____________________

It does look good. I think it could look even better with different wheels. That front lower grill looks like a bear to clean.

NWGTNS

No Weber Gold Tie, No Sale

=D~

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BillR1 Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 8:27 am

Frank Weber came from Opel to work on the Volt. I wonder with Opel splitting from GM if he will return to Opel or stay on in the States.

I think he is one of the key technical guys for the Voltec system.

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Van Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 8:51 am

As mentioned before, those wheels seem a bit much. And as also mentioned before the range is “up to” 40 miles on pure electricity.

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TALLPALL Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:01 am

*** 639 days to go ***

The Ampera is damn funky…….

In 600 or so days i may well be back in the UK. So it could be the Vauxhall Amp for me…..shame…

I have only ever bought one Vauxhall/GM in the past, (Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 SRI – in 95′) which speaks volumes for the Volt. It really has me excited in cars again. I’m sure i am not the only one…

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Steve K Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:04 am

Hopefully that little video will get people back to the feeling that the Volt really will be the beginning of a revolution.

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TALLPALL Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:16 am

With $6 -$7 Gas in the UK the Ampera will be the Bomb.

Also, does anyone know long the charge time will be by using the UK 240 Volt socket?

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Dave K. =D~ Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:24 am

hi TALLPAL #7,

Mr. Weber mentioned 2.5 hours in the video. Up til today I have heard 3 hours mentioned @ 240v.

=D~

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CDAVIS Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:28 am

______________________________________________________
The Opel Ampera will be a big home run for Opel. Great job Opel & Voltec design team!
______________________________________________________
Electric Cars + Nuclear Power = American Energy Independence!
______________________________________________________

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TALLPALL Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:29 am

Thanks. I’ll clean my ears out. 2.5 hrs … now thats positive.

Almost makes me want to move back to England……..Almost.

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Shawn Marshall Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:31 am

Looks like a Sabre toothed tiger.

If I ruled the world GM would do a Volt Ad similar to following:

The Chevy Volt

Is Not Your Father’s ICE Wagon

(sepia tinted images of Cydesdales & Ice Wagon,then 1930s woody delivery van)
(Voice over: ICE = internal Combustion engine, old school)

Is A Cool,Quiet Electric Glide

(images of Volts clipping around, Whirring sound)

Will Free You From Domination By Foreign Oil

(image twin tower collapsing, people running)

Will Free You From Domination By Foreign Cars

(image of Samurai warrior and China’s Red Star)

An American Revolution

(Images of Drums and Fifes on Parade)

Drive For EV-ER
Electrified Volt – Extended Range
High Value, Long Life, Clean Energy.

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Van Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:34 am

How long to charge. Lets say to recharge completely you need to charge 8 KWh. So if you use a 120 Volt system rated at 15 amps,
then your rate of charge would be 1.8 KW per hour. So it would take about 4 and a half hours. If you where limited to 10 amps, then it would take a little over 6 and a half hours.

So if you know the voltage and the amps, such as say 240 volts and 20 amps, then just multiply the volts times the amps, and then divide the result into 8 KWh. For example 240 times 20 equals 4800 or 4.8 KW and if you divide that into 8 KWhs, you get 1.7 hours to recharge.

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BillR1 Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:47 am

#12 Van,

I remember a post from probably 6 months to a year ago where IIRC Frank Weber stated that the Volt would get most of its recharge (240 V) in the first hour.

Reminds me of my battery charger for 12 volt auto batteries. When the charge is low, the battery will draw 10 to 12 amps, and then progressively draws less amps as the battery comes to full charge.

Just something to think about as you try to calculate the time for recharge.

I was able to find the link:

http://gm-volt.com/2008/04/02/volt-will-charge-at-both-110v-and-220v-half-of-range-charge-within-an-hour/

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Van Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:53 am

Yes, BillR1, we do not know the charger profile, but do not expect it
to mirror the profile used on lead-acid batteries. Since the video says 2.5 hours, and that works out to 240 volts at a little less than 15 amps, I am confident the estimate is valid even with the hole (assumption) in the calculation basis.

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BillR1 Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:59 am

Van,

Just trying to say that the charge rate is not linear, but a faster charge to start with a tapering amperage as you near the fully charged state.

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Dave K. =D~ Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:01 am

Of all the Volt videos, Weber is the only one to state “will get” 40 miles per charge. All other GM reps say “up to”.

Most charging cycles will be an adding to a partially depleted battery. So the answer to “how long to charge @ 240v” is… less than 2.6 hours.

BTW: I have heard through the grapevine that there has been some added capability to the T battery. This may be why we have heard the first “will get 40 miles” report. You know how news gets around Southern California. I am not going to say “what” or “how” on the battery.

=D~

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Van Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:01 am

BillR1, note to “pump half your range” in the first hour at 220 Volts, you would need to average a little more than 18 amps for the first hour. Then you could “taper off” such at you average 12 amps for the next hour and a half.

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JEC Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:16 am

Ground clearance looks like an issue, maybe 4 inches? Could use this to plow the roads here
Wheel size is impractical and expensive.
That nose looks HUGE.

So if this is the “concept”, then I would expect most of these “issues” to go away, and eventually the Ampera will be the same as the Volt.

Really, makes little sense to even do this, in my opinion. GM should be in a money saving mode, and re-designing a car that is not even released in US, to be sold in Europe, under a different badge seems ludicrous.

Just port the exact Volt design to Europe, and save big money (like Menards!). These are not the times to be spending time and money to put a different shade of lip stick on the pig.

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CDAVIS Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:28 am

______________________________________________________
The above Frank Weber video shows how sincerely vested some of the VOLTEC team is in making VOLTEC a mainstream product.

Weber says in the video “Working with a global team on bringing this technology first to market is a true inspiration and leading the industry with this introduction is a fascination in itself. And what I can say is making this experience to work as a global team on the introduction and development work is a one in a lifetime opportunity that I currently have to work on those products like the Chevy Volt or the Opel”.

Frank Weber, thank you for your dedicated work on the VOLTEC program. You have every reason to be proud of the important work that you and your team are doing to make this a better world for all of us.
______________________________________________________
Electric Cars + Nuclear Power = American Energy Independence!
______________________________________________________

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RB Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:28 am

This car is beautiful to me I wish we could have it instead of the “plain Jane” Volt. Maybe GM will just replace the Volt with this one. (just wishful thinking).

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Tim Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:32 am

I’m confused

Times are tough and If economy of scale increases efficiency and lowers cost then producing 2 versions of the “Volt” with different skins seems counterproductive.

While GM’s divisions have been competing against each other over the last 3 decades, the foreign competitors have been sacking their customer base by focusing on quality/cost/value.

It doesn’t make sense for GM to divide and conquer themselves! Shouldn’t GM FOCUS?

Wouldn’t it make more sense for GM to use Voltec to build ONE 4-door sedan (choose style A or B and stick with it), ONE coupe, ONE light pickup, ONE crossover and maybe ONE minivan and THAT’S IT? (It would be nice to have 4X4 available on the crossover & light pickup.)

Since Chevrolet is GM’s “global brand”, shouldn’t these ALL be Chevrolets? You know, one model of Voltec each and one brand for all.

Would somebody please explain to me why GM wants BOTH the Volt and Ampera and why that makes economic sense for GM, I’d LOVE to hear it. Thanks!

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Sal Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:44 am

How come Europe gets a better looking Volt then we do? Wait I got a better idea, rebadge it as a Saturn and save the Saturn brand.

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nasaman Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:52 am

ATTN GM STYLISTS & MANAGEMENT: I SUBMIT THAT THE AMPERA’S FRONT-END STYLING IS VASTLY SUPERIOR TO THE VOLT’S!!! Here’s why…..

- Ampera’s upper grill looks functional (nicely recessed, not fake like Volt’s “glued-on” grill)

- Ampera’s gorgeous “boomerang” head-, running-, parking-, fog-light housings are bold & highly distinctive

- Ampera’s huge, handsome lower grill is obviously functional (& able to divert any unneeded cooling air underneath the car)

- Ampera’s front-end design elements are beautifully integrated & make a powerful statement by contrast to Volt’s boring “plain vanilla” treatment

I’m inclined to think Bob Boniface’s designers were constrained to function like a “committee” — i.e., forced to use Chevy’s current dual-grill “template”, whereas Opel’s designers were allowed far greater freedom of expression.

Result? The Ampera is FAR BETTER LOOKING than the Volt! Anyone here disagree?

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nasaman Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:00 am

….I’ll buy an Ampera instead of a Volt in a heartbeat, even if I have to buy it in Europe & import it here!

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Zita Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:04 am

Tim, I live in Europe and everybody here consider Chevy cars as rebadged Daewoos (very low-end), because that is what GM sells here in Chevy dealerships (Corvette is sold as a separate mark). Of cause GM is aware of this. Therefore they decided not to push Volt as Chevy, because nobody would trust Daew…Chevrolet is capable of making a high-tech product. Opel is better suited for pushing a revolutionary model in Europe. It might cost some money upfront to make two similar models but it will pay back with better sales because there is much higher probability that Europeans would buy high-tech from Opel rather than Chevrolet. They plan to sell Volt as well but as no.2.That is my theory. That said, personally I would prefer just Volt for everywhere and something different for Opel (coupe, MPV,…)

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DaV8or Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:33 am

#23 Nasaman-

“ATTN GM STYLISTS & MANAGEMENT: I SUBMIT THAT THE AMPERA’S FRONT-END STYLING IS VASTLY SUPERIOR TO THE VOLT’S!!! …

Result? The Ampera is FAR BETTER LOOKING than the Volt! Anyone here disagree?

————————————————————————————–

I disagree! #1) I really don’t see the Ampera as being that different, it is about 90% the same car. #2) I can’t get over those fang, boomarang whatever those weird cuts are supposed to be things. I don’t find them attractive at all, just strange. The rear of the Ampera is a little better than the Volt, although, again, they’re not that different. Both cars are kinda crappy looking IMO, a far cry from the original concept. I get it, range, drag, efficiency, blah, blah, blah. I just have to say that neither design inspire me to plunk down $40K and I have to keep reminding myself of the drivetrain. Does anybody know if the Ampera has to suffer the same silly interior as the Volt, or do they get something better? Anyhow, IMO, it’s a real stretch to claim that the Ampera is “far better looking”.

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statik Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:38 am

The “Ampera,” while having a much worse name than the Volt (imo) does seem to have a slightly better look…although we are talking about them just swapping out the front and rear molds here basically.

At the end of the day, this is the kind of ‘it’s a Chev, no it’s a Pontiac, no it’s a Saturn, no it’s a Opel, no it’s a Vauxhall…,” but really it is all the same friggin’ car that GM is famous for, over branding and polluting the market with new badges and lightly re-worked skins.

I’ll agree sometimes it is a good idea to market a car at two levels, you can open up an additional market…but with the Volt and the Ampera, they are clearly in the same market (of which there is zero competition), so this is a exercise in redundancy.

However many millions they spend bringing this additional rebadge to market, GM will be lucky to garner a handul of extra sales. I have serious doubts there will be any over capacity at all in Gen 1, which makes this even more ridiculous, as it would impossible to sell more copies…in fact, this is wasting time, they will actually sell less overall.

/lesson not learned

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Len Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:41 am

The lithium chemistry batteries charge with a constant voltage. This is a bit of an over simplification, but to the extent the power is available and the chemistry can take the current it is true. What this means is that the voltage differential will be greatest when discharged and therefore the current flow will be highest. The formula is V=IR or solving for current, current equals voltage divided by resistance. Assuming the resistance constant, the current is proportional to the voltage differential. You can generally charge the first 80% faster than the last 20%.

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PLJ Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:42 am

This Frank Weber guy is great. Eloquent and techie at the same time.

I think GM should play him up in more video clips, and eventually in Volt advertisements.

Americans trust German engineering and this guy positively exudes that image.

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Steven Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:47 am

Looks like they ripped off the Acura’s styling…

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frankyB Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 12:34 pm

Even if the Ampera is bit better looking, I join Statik and Tim about the waste of money of carrying 2 car (the original and rebadged).

It is bad branding as they had an oppertunity to establish the Volt as a unique product world wide. When you say Prius, you know what it means and what is associated with it.

Here GM split the brand and the message in two. The only logic behind this is the fact that Opel is parting away from GM and they won’t be able to use a GM brand in their product suite. If this is the case, GM has known for a while they would drop Opel.

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vincent Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 12:36 pm

I like that version of the front end much better than the Volt.
Why not make that front nose and tail piece an option.

Give clients here choice also.
it’s a straight forward bolt on. Volt and Euro Spec Volt. Or what ever the bean counters want to call it. Just make it available as an option with no cost change.
I would bet the Volt version will be ordered far less.
Kind of a no-brainer.
Why not double your chances of selling your product.
I just dont see why you would bet the house on one style “you” feel is the best one.
Give customers choice. Obviously GM has no clue or the current dramas would not be present within.
Hope your reading Ricky…
These two versions should be siting side by side at the dealer ship.
The concept version of the Volt should also be there with a Gas Version Turbo of the 1.4
3 home runs for a company about to collapse. Wake up people!
I’ll execute the details. Pay me only when they sell.
I will be a wealthy Man.
Caring two front and rear molds is pennies on the scale of building a vehicle. Do it!

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Dan Petit Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 1:13 pm

The Opel Ampera:

*******************************STUNNING*************************************

Maybe we might be equally surprised with an optional/different front
end for the Volt since we have been viewing the current style
for awhile

Dan Petit Austin TX.

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unni Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 1:22 pm

Sorry to say, Ampera looks not that great compared the orginal flextreme. I was looking an streamed flextreme which came through a windtunnel tested version.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/09/flextreme_2lo.jpg

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Tagamet Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 1:41 pm

static
Yes, yes, but it’ll create jobs in the ad business! (sorry – propaganda fatigue).

Shawn M Nice job on the ad. Creative enough to be a left hander. Are you? BTW, that’s a huge compliment.

nasaman
Not that I could afford it, but if you ship 2 cars from Europe do you get a break on price?

Comment: Weber is the Volt’s VonBraun. We need him!

Be well all,
Tag

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Zach Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 1:51 pm

He sounds German or somewhere from over there…

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wrigley Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 2:07 pm

calm down, it’s the same car.

IMO, i don’t care for the opel front end. I like the volt bettter.

As far as the grill, i don’t think you can decide until you see it in person.

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GM Volt Fan Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 2:08 pm

I would probably like the front end of the Opel Ampera more than the Volt … IF … the designers did the headlight design a little different. It’s a unique design, yes. But … I guess I just prefer a more conventional front end “look”. I like the center “grille” part of the front end though. Just the headlight thing just doesn’t look quite right.

I think it’s better for us customers be honest with our opinions. Constructive criticism is okay if done appropriately. Believe me, I just want GM to be successful and make American cars the best in the world. I love the Volt technology under the hood … but, GM should work harder on the exterior designs for Volt 2.0 and Ampera 2.0.

In my opinion, the designers should sometimes just acknowledge that some of the best front end designs have already been done. They ought to start with those “classic looks” and tweak them just enough so that most customers will think it is somewhat new and unique. The designers should be looking at the best designs in automotive history and start from there.

I think the headlights of a car are a bit like sunglasses on a face. Sometimes the classic sunglasses are still the best. That’s how art is. Some art and music is just “timeless”. Some people say that the best classical music was done way back in the 1600s in the baroque period. One car design that I think is “timeless” is the Aston Martin Vantage. It would be great if GM could tweak an upcoming Voltec car to look a little like the Vantage. This car’s exterior is awesome.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/assets/image/2005/1006200518464787.jpg

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charlie h Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 2:44 pm

Has GM figured out a way to get some revenue by selling Photoshopped pictures of cars they double-dog-swear they are going to build someday?

If so, this Opel Ampera is a work of genius. If not, it’s a complete waste of time.

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Gary Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 3:15 pm

Ampera’s upper grill looks functional (nicely recessed, not fake like Volt’s “glued-on” grill)

Nasaman, what is it with you and the Volt’s grille? When it was mentioned some months back that the Volt’s grille was mostly decorative, you freaked out. You said that the Volt should not have a grille if it’s merely decorative. I think I’m in the majority when saying that most people want cars with some sort of a grille–decorative or functional. The original 1989 Infiniti Q45 looked weird without a grille, so future generations got one.

Looking at the up-close photos of the Volt’s grille, there will be some air flow around it. It does not appear to be glued on… it’s as recessed as most other cars on the market.

If you want a grille to complain about, look at the 2009 Acura RL. Ew.

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koz Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 3:17 pm

charlie h #39

“Has GM figured out a way to get some revenue by selling Photoshopped pictures of cars they double-dog-swear they are going to build someday?

If so, this Opel Ampera is a work of genius. If not, it’s a complete waste of time.”

This IS bothersome. You clearly understand wasting time.

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grade school teacher Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 3:27 pm

Hi kids,

Here’s an idea to make this site move up a notch in status:

If you don’t know the difference between YOUR and YOU’RE don’t write anything on this site until you do.

Come on people. It’s not that hard to use basic good English here.

I’m talking 4th grade stuff.

Please.

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Lurtz Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 3:41 pm

I like both the Volt’s and the Ampera’s styles. If it doesn’t violate NHTSA codes like signal lamp height or whatever maybe Americans can order the Volt with an Ampera front end as an option. Hey, if the customer is willing to pay for it, who is GM to stop them?

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Michael Robinson Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 3:47 pm

I think the Voltec promise is just that, promise. A $10k battery
to modify Priuses has NOT produced the fuel efficiency
expected.

EV fans say, look at the efficiency. Reality check, $16k for 40
miles * how ever many times you can fully recharge the battery
is a LOT of money. Hydrogen cars have a range of 200-480
miles on a single load of compressed hydrogen. With nitrogen
doped carbon nanotubes replacing platinum battery based
electric vehicles are not the future.

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carcus1 Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 4:03 pm

Notably absent from Mr. Weber’s presentation: no mention of fuel economy after “customer depletion” of the battery.

Of course, if some think the only thing we all really hope to see out of this is a stepping stone to cheaper better batteries, then some would say mpg after aer is just something we don’t talk about.

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Red HHR Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 4:28 pm

Well I like the Volt looks better.
I think the Volt would look great in candy apple red with black chrome trim…

Red HHR (looking for somthing new)

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JEC Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 4:40 pm

#42 Teacher:
“It’s not that hard to use basic good English here. ”

=====================================================
I ran your sentence through my automated grammaticator, and it was extremely disappointed with your structure.

Please resubmit your work, and if I am feeling generous, I may be willing to overlook this when I submit your quarterly grade.

Have a nice day!

PS: YOUR the best.

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JEC Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 4:57 pm

The Volt/Ampera are not about looks, even though many people will make it high on the list of “must haves”.

I would gladly drive a Ford Pinto if it could meet the spec’s that the Volt is touting, or even came close.

If you have the money, buy the “ugly” car, then take it to your favorite body botique and give it the lipstick of your desires.

I am normally pesimistic on the Volt, but with conditions as they are, I am very close to saying the Volt will never see the road. But, that small ray of hope is still shining, so I will continue to watch and wait. (tick…tock…tick…)

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DonC Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 5:06 pm

#16 Dave K says “Of all the Volt videos, Weber is the only one to state “will get” 40 miles per charge. All other GM reps say “up to”. ”

I may have missed this. I thought he said 60 km which is 36 miles.

#27 statik says “but really it is all the same friggin’ car that GM is famous for, over branding and polluting the market with new badges and lightly re-worked skins”

I thought this was the marketing skills made famous by Proctor and Gamble. Note Microsoft hired a bunch of those guys and now we have fifteen different versions of Vista.

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RB Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 5:51 pm

Mr Weber is a wonderful advocate for the Volt and Ampera. He is clear, crisp, and authoritative.

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grade school teacher Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 6:02 pm

To JEC #47 re: basic good English

Yeah, I knew that sentence was iffy, but improving sentence STRUCTURE would be moving us up too many notches. We don’t want to be THAT snooty.

Yer the best too.

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statik Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 6:51 pm

#49 DonC said:

#27 statik says “but really it is all the same friggin’ car that GM is famous for, over branding and polluting the market with new badges and lightly re-worked skins”

I thought this was the marketing skills made famous by Proctor and Gamble. Note Microsoft hired a bunch of those guys and now we have fifteen different versions of Vista.
=============================

Vista is only for mental patients…and Texans.

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Lurtz Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 7:02 pm

All these “Bob the Angry Flower” apostrophe-grammar Nazis, and no one mentioned the “district Opel styling”?

And punctuation outside of quotes? -10. See me after class.

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NZDavid Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 7:07 pm

Great photo, but to be honest, I would settle for just about anything with the darn Voltec drivetrain at this stage!

Form follows function as nasaman would say.

LJGTVWOTR

Looking forward to my Holden Volt.

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Steve Townsend Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 7:22 pm

Shouldn’t that be…?

Yer the best, too.

Can’t forget that comma. Lol.

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TALLPALL Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 7:35 pm

Will you Gramma Nazi’s f-off to another site.
Maybe Gay teachers-love cars.com……

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Dave K. =D~ Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 7:35 pm

hi DonC #49,

“…he said 60 km which is 36 miles”

__________________________

My son wants to use the computer now. I’ll see if I can find the video to post here tonight.

=D~

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Michael Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 7:36 pm

Looks like things are wandering off topic right now, so allow me to continue that a bit. Last weekend Lyle got to drive a Tesla for a day, this week the first Tesla (#141) for a New Mexican was delivered. Not bad for such a poor state with such a politically “interesting” Governor. Here’s the link to our small town (Los Alamos) Newspaper:

http://www.lcni5.com/cgi-bin/c2.cgi?075+article+Features+20090228114018075075007

Now we just have to figure how to get GM to send some of those Volts to the Land of Enchantment.

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tim-the-dreamer Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 8:53 pm

Nice looking saturn. Check the saturn concept designs and you’ll see a very striking match. Great way to keep the saturn design live while the brand gets tanked for viability sake. That’s not knocking it mind, I happen to honestly like it though the screen saver makes it look like a brooding transformer. Opel should rake it in when it goes to market. I’m sure gm’s working on the 4×4’s and such, or will if folks would help drive it home to them. Without Lyle setting up this site it’s doubtfull the volt would’ve gottin this far. It’ll probably take time for them to adapt the voltec to move a one ton truck and still have the power needed for large cargo and hauling loads. Raser.com is converting an h2 into an e-rev, If that’s any comfort. I just want off foreign oil and high priced gas. I’m not concerned which is availible as long as I can get one. Lets get the first one rolling already. jmo.

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Dave K. =D~ Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:21 pm

hi DonC #49,

“I may have missed this. I thought he said 60 km which is 36 miles.”

___________________________________

I think we’re both partially right. Can’t find the video that I had mentioned. It was a google search last night (at work) that turned it up. Anyway, Mr. Weber said, “60KM or 40 miles”. I guess this means 36-40 miles? The good news is that he is the first to say, “40 miles”. I like his guts and determination. Something GM needs more of.

BTW: With one side stop my daily work drive is 17×2 miles.

=D~

(Quote)
James E Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:37 pm

How many days untill the Volt goes on sale?

Come on GM let’s pull the launch date to the left!!!!

NPNS

(Quote)
stopcrazypp Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:37 pm

@#44 Michael Robinson

Yeah but how much does a fuel cell, hydrogen storage tank and it’s REQUIRED new fueling infrastructure costs?

I bet it’s more than a bit higher than the battery in the Volt or the converted Prius. And we’re not even including the hydrogen production costs.

I assume you are referring to this test:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008771363_danny22.html
I noticed the main problem with that test was the Prius conversions have a 30mph EV limit before it’s a hybrid again. The Volt is always driven in EV mode even at highway speeds or strong acceleration and the AER is higher the Prius conversions too. I imagine there will be a significant efficiency difference between the Volt & the Prius conversions. Anyways it seems the PHEV Priuses were 50% more efficient than non-PHEV: “The PHEV Priuses are getting 50% better fuel economy overall when the battery is charged. 55 city / 67 hwy vs 37 city / 46 hwy.” This was pointed out to me by someone who actually read the whole article (I didn’t). 50% better is not too shabby, though we want 100+mpg in the Volt rather than just 55mpg.

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Altazi Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 9:59 pm

If ever a car existed that looked like a Cylon, this is it.

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Cautious Fan Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:15 pm

OK OK. I know I said I was taking a break from posting (I get addicted). But I thought our northerly brethren might appreciate this.

http://graphjam.com/2009/02/19/song-chart-memes-often-eh/

(Quote)
Barry Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 10:46 pm

#61, “How many days untill the Volt goes on sale?”

Try never, haven’t you heard GM ran out of money.

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Freemon Sandlewould Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:03 pm

Obama is going to bankrupt the country …..let alone GM

(Quote)
dodahman Says:
March 1st, 2009 at 11:08 pm

Looks much better than the Volt.

(Quote)
carcus1 Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:13 am

#64 Cautious Fan,

Abstinence is for quitters.
I kinda thought you’d be back, eh?

(Quote)
Michael Robinson Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:40 am

Over 50% of the cost of a fuel cell stack is the platinum.
Replacing the platinum with something better that is
much cheaper is going to be a game changer. A
better and cheaper electrode material has been found.

It’s 2 million dollars roughly plus the cost of the land to build a hydrogen station, but setting up electric charging stations isn’t
going to be free either. This has to be done for plug-in electric
vehicles to become practical as not everyone has a plug they
can access where they park their car at night. So, perhaps
there is more infrastructure cost involved with PHEV’s than
meets the eye.

Remember, the Volt is going to be $16k dollars high. A fuel cell
car being mass produced could be sold for less. The nearest production plans for fuel cell cars aside from the FCX Clarity are Toyota’s plans to start mass production in 2015. Quick
charging and long range are mutually exclusive characteristics
of a battery. Hydrogen refueling could be achieved in many ways with the notable difference being that it is going to be much
faster than recharging a battery. Options range from refueling
with Magnesium hydride slurry which can be transported in bulk
on existing tanker trucks, my favorite, to solid metal hydrides, to liquid hydrogen, and compressed hydrogen. For the FCX Clarity, Honda will support home refueling based on the reformation of natural gas. In the future, solar cracking of water will become very cost effective. In some areas, underground hydrogen pipelines
are actually a cheaper and an environmentally friendlier way to
go than above ground electrical transmission lines.

The car companies don’t want to get into the fueling business.
Fine, but noone is building hydrogen stations and who is
setting up charging stations? I’d say that that’s a problem.

When hydrogen is mass produced, it will be cheaper than
gasoline. This is owing to the fact that the efficiency of fuel
cell vehicles is upwards of 60% compared to ICE
vehicles which are about 21% efficient.

http://www.hydrogendiscoveries.com
http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com
http://www.safehydrogenllc.com

The Chevy Equinox fuel cell vehicle could be redesigned with
cost saving features such as nitrogen doped carbon nanotube
electrodes in the fuel cell stack and low pressure tanks that take Magnesium Hydride Slurry for the fuel system and a little bit of water to get things started.

Within 1 to 2 generations, fuel cell technology will overtake PHEV
technology. There are 170k fueling stations right now. It isn’t
necessary to build that many hydrogen stations to get things
started though.

The range of fuel cell cars starts at 200 miles and goes up from
there. Noone can say that for EV’s that are the size of SUV’s.
The Toyota FCHV SUV can go 480 miles on a load of hydrogen.

(Quote)
Jim I Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:43 am

You are all very funny today….

I think we all know for sure that nasaman really hates the Volt’s front end. But is that design really so bad as to make it worth the shipping costs to send an Opel Ampera over from Europe??? I think I could live with and drive the Chevy version and save that $2K – $3K!!

Why are you are considered gay if you use proper structure and spelling?

statik: I think that the logic in Zita’s post #25 makes a lot of sense. Euopeans would rather see the Voltec design in an Opel rather than a Chevy. So change the front end a bit, and give them what they want to buy. If GM really wanted this to be a single named vehicle world wide, it should have been a Cadillac, but it is too late for that now….

I sure hope that GM does not have to lay off Frank Weber. They are so close to finishing this project, and Mr. Weber has done a great job, along with the rest of the Volt team!!

NPNS

(Quote)
Dave K. =D~ Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 1:45 am

hi DonC,

Didn’t find the Weber link I was searching for. This link also mentions 40 mpc.

http://cnettv.cnet.com/2001-1_53-50003776.html

=D~

(Quote)
Mike D Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:00 am

As far as several people have mentioned about GM reps saying that the Volt / Ampera will get “up to” 40 miles per charge…

my very confident guess is that when you’re dealing with the public, that just because it’s POSSIBLE to floor it off of every stoplight and drive spuratically, you can screw up your 40 mile range. When dealing with the public, you have to speak like they’ll all get the worst possible outcome, and that they’re all the world’s worst drivers, because otherwise, people will sue them for false range claims… they have to speak every sentence like they’re going to get sued if they don’t happen to mention that you can mess up the car if you drive it badly. That’s how the whole electric car thing has to work… it sucks for PR. So my very confident guess is that “up to” 40 miles is not at all a pie in the sky. I think people who maximize coasting and brake-regen time will see 50 miles, and people who drag race it off of every intersection and are wasteful will get 30 miles.Time will prove that right i believe…

(Quote)
Ausmartin Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:15 am

Love the euro styling Ampera with on board charger, love the charging will get in Australia – antother 220-240VAC country – 2.5 hours!

What a nice change compared to the Toyota Prius 2010 – Lord that is so ugly – was the designer drunk at the time as it has no charm.
Toyota nearly had a styling department, now i think they are back in K-Mart appliance division – plus their parallel hybrid system is a joke!

Go Ampera & Go Volt – I just hope I can afford you when you materialise in 2010!

(Quote)
Nicholas | Pixobyte.com Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:21 am

Oh my god! Cool! I have no words to describe how great it looks.. osome

(Quote)
Shawn Marshall Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 9:06 am

Tagamet
Southpaw converted to righty in kindergarten. Very astute.Thanks.

(Quote)
Tall Pete Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:19 am

Freemon Sandlewould #66
Obama is going to bankrupt the country …..let alone GM
==========================================
Actually, Bush is not receiving due credit. He did all the work of bankrupting the country, Obama is just trying to get America out of the ditch. You can’t undo 8 years of bad policies in one month, give the new president some time. Policies have to change, the course we were used to (Bush’s course of action) was driving the country right to poverty. It was so short term based.

FrankyB #31
(…) If this is the case, GM has known for a while they would drop Opel.
====================================================
Of course they knew. Although we assume GM executives are clueless, don’t believe it for a second. They already know the most likely scenario that will play out and, as statik said in an earlier thread, internally they know they will go chap. 11. They are just playing their hand best they can to save the company. Or at least, a significant part of it.

As for the design itself, I think the Volt design, more classical, will last longer than this boomerang look. JMO.

(Quote)
noel park Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:33 am

#23 nasaman:

I respectfully disagree.

LJGTVWOTR!!

(Quote)
N Riley Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:30 pm

I am just now getting a chance to even read this post. Not the comments, but just Lyle’s post. It is a good looking car although somewhat dramatic with the front end design. Looks totally different from the Volt’s front end although based on the same. Should help to keep the two cars separate in the same market area, assuming the Volt will be sold in Europe as a Chevrolet also.

Good post, Lyle.

(Quote)
Anthony BC Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 3:06 pm

Nice looking car if it will ever see the light of day?

GM, could you please waste more money that you don’t have (but will ask the govt/public for) and design a third version for the asian market, thank you.

GO EV, SAY NO TO GAS!

(Quote)
Michael Robinson Says:
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:06 pm

Bush kept inflation down. The banks and other speculators got
greedy and assumed he wouldn’t do that. That is why we are in
a financial crisis today. That and we have to get off of using oil
in our transportation system sooner than later.

The sooner GM gets off of thinking a pure EV or an extended
range EV is the way to go, the better. We need to see mass
production of fuel cell cars and just bite the bullet already on
building a hydrogen infrastructure. Hydrogen is the only option
that can be produced anywhere using a variety of methods.
There is enough desert land in the U.S. that is not tapped for
it’s solar potential which can easily produce all the hydrogen needed for cars. Solar cracking of water comes to mind as an
option.

Electric cars are plagued by the difficulty of storing enough energy
on board to achieve a 40 mile AER. Take into account simply driving the wheels then add the cost of supporting: head lamps,
AC, a heater core, and a radio and your power needs are quite high. There isn’t a high capacity battery that isn’t explosive and Lithium ION batteries especially have an explosion risk. It is
more efficient to store compressed hydrogen and run it through
a fuel cell than it is space wise to use an enormous chemical battery. Pure EV’s are not the answer, it isn’t worth it to put an
extremely expensive incredibly huge battery in a car. A small
battery that could be nickel metal hydride and a fuel cell plus
a hydrogen producing fuel system is a much better way to go.

(Quote)
tim-the-dreamer Says:
March 3rd, 2009 at 12:15 am

Altazi@63,

LMAO, dude!

(Quote)
Ben Morrow Says:
March 3rd, 2009 at 8:48 pm

Just wanted to chime in and say that I would buy an Ampera over a Volt as well.

It looks much “faster” to me. I think it retains more of the soul of the original concept fort the Volt than the production Volt itself.

(Quote)
Paul P Says:
March 4th, 2009 at 10:17 am

Someone on another blog posted that the headlights look like Alice Cooper eyes. Sorry whenever I see this car, I LMAO.

(Quote)
Anto Says:
March 4th, 2009 at 7:57 pm

The new Vehicle Electric, Opel Ampera.
Frank Weber explains the technology inside the Opel Ampera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucr7Rt-cWU0

(Quote)

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