Opel Ampera (Germany, 2009-present)

The final version of the Opel Ampera is presented at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. With the Ampera reaching the markets by the end of 2011, Opel is the first European manufacturer to offer an electric model in Europe.

The Ampera extended-range electric is suitable for daily usage as Opel tried to eliminate the so-called ‘range-anxiety’. The car is driven solely on electric power between the first 40 to 80 kilometres, with the power being supplied by the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery. A depleted battery takes four hours to recharge just by plugging the car’s charging system into a 230V standard outlet. For longer trips the Ampera’s range can be extended to more than 500 kilometres using the gasoline-fueled engine/generator. The electric engine produces a total power of 150 hp and torque of 370 Nm, which enable the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in around nine seconds and to reach a top speed of 161 km/h.