Grab our RSS Feed
Follow us on:
   AND    

Archive for the 'Opel' Category

« Previous Entries

Guest-Post: Magna Group Reportedly Pulls Plug on Building Ampera

October 17th, 2009 | Posted in: Opel, Production with 107 Comments

It was long thought that shortly after the Chevrolet Volt went into production in Michigan that a plant would open in Europe to produce the Ampera.
The front runner for this plant had been the Ellesmere Port plant in the United Kingdom, given the strong backing of the state government, and their willingness to subsidize the [...]

Posted by: Statik with 107 Comments

Voltec Could go Mainstream in 5 to 6 Years

June 28th, 2009 | Posted in: Next Generation, Opel, Voltec with 109 Comments

The Opel Ampera is the twin sister car to the Chevy Volt.  The primary difference is rebadging with Opel styling cues, the platform and powertrain will be identical.   Canadian parts supplier Magna International is in negotiations with GM to become a partial owner of Opel.
There are apparently some snags in the negotiations.  It is well [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 109 Comments

GM, Magna, Opel, and Voltec: a Tangled Web is Woven

June 3rd, 2009 | Posted in: Financial, Opel, Voltec with 151 Comments

The GM bankruptcy is independent of its foreign subsidiaries. This includes GM Europe which makes Opel products.
GM Europe has itself been rescued through a German government brokered deal selling portions of the company to Canadian auto parts maker Magna and Russian lender Sberbank.  Magna will own 20%, Sberbank 35%, GM 35%, and Opel auto [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 151 Comments

Unveiled: Opel Ampera With Photo Gallery and Video

March 2nd, 2009 | Posted in: Images, Interior, Opel with 107 Comments

The Opel Ampera was unveiled today at the Geneva Auto Show. As we know, the vehicle uses the same platform as the Chevy Volt and the same extended-range electric drivetrain otherwise known as the Voltec propulsion system.
GM has been gradually teasing images of the car. Now we can see it all including the [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 107 Comments

Opel Ampera Official Picture Released

March 1st, 2009 | Posted in: Images, Opel, Video with 84 Comments

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 [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 84 Comments

Opel to Split From GM, Germany Ready to Bail Them Out

February 28th, 2009 | Posted in: Financial, Opel with 53 Comments

After the fall of Saab, now independent from GM, in court supervised restructuring, and having shut down all production, the next domino to fall is Opel.
The Germany-based division of GM has developed a restructuring plan that they plan to present to the German government and four other European countries on Monday . The division needs [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 53 Comments

Opel Ampera Spy Photos Surface

February 19th, 2009 | Posted in: Images, Opel with 74 Comments

When the Chevy Volt was first unveiled there was a procession of so-called leaks of images. First grainy footage on the Transformers set, and then the bizarre set of photos with GM executives standing in front of the car just days before the official reveal.
The Opel Ampera is set to debut at the Geneva [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 74 Comments

Opel Ampera Sketches Leak to Web

February 18th, 2009 | Posted in: Images, Opel with 40 Comments

Previously GM announced they would be unveiling the European version of the Chevy Volt, the Opel Ampera at the Geneva Auto Show in March.  They provided us with a teaser photo that when given careful scrutiny suggested it was actually the same Volt body with signature Opel branding.
The vehicle is known to use the identical [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 40 Comments

Opel Ampera to Use Gas/E85 Generator, Not Diesel, and Chevy Volt Will go to Europe Too

January 27th, 2009 | Posted in: Generator, Marketing, Opel, Voltec with 95 Comments

We just found out last night, GM had given its European Voltec-propelled EREV sedan an official name, the Opel Ampera. We also were given a teaser photo indicating that the car had a very similar styling to the Chevy Volt (see above) although when compared directly, seems to have a squatter, wider, more splayed-out [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 95 Comments

GMs’ European Volt Electric Sister to be Unveiled in March: Introducing the Opel Ampera

January 26th, 2009 | Posted in: Opel, Voltec with 113 Comments

It has been known for some time that that Chevy Volt is a global vehicle intended to be sold and driven in many of the countries GM does business.  Europe is clearly a key market intended for this car.  We have also heard that the Volt will first appear there under the Opel brand, which [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 113 Comments

Flextreme Concept Wins Prestigious Design Award, Still Not Production Intent

November 28th, 2008 | Posted in: Design, E-REV, Opel with 76 Comments

In late 2007, GM unveiled the Opel Flextreme concept car and later showed it rebadged as Saturn.
The vehicle has a unique monocab design, but importantly, like the Chevy Volt, is also an E-Flex vehicle. It is meant to demonstrate how the range-extender could also be diesel and how the E-Flex E-REV drivetrain could be [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 76 Comments

GM States the Volt Will Arrive in Europe in 2011 Under Opel/Vauxhall Brand

August 6th, 2008 | Posted in: Brand, E-REV, Opel with 79 Comments

Carl-Peter Forster is GMs European president.  He wrote a blog post about the Volt , inspired by all the media interest he witnessed at the London Motor Show.
He wrote how the US will get the Volt in late 2010 assuming "we will continue to attain all of our goals and milestones for the battery and [...]

Posted by: Lyle with 79 Comments

RSS Recent Posts

RSS Recent GM-Volt Forum Posts