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HRH Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway (center) listens as GM's Frank Weber explains the workings of the Opel Ampera, the extended-range electric vehicle
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Prince of Norway views Opel Ampera at electric vehicle symposium
Development vehicles featuring Voltec technology coming to Europe this year
2009-05-14
Stavanger, Norway. The Opel Ampera extended-range electric vehicle attracted the attention of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway during his visit to the Opel stand at the Electric Vehicle Symposium 24, the world's premier conference on zero-emission technologies being held in Stavanger, Norway, today.
Meanwhile, the next stage of the Opel Ampera’s development begins next month in Europe with the arrival of engineering prototypes from the United States, Frank Weber, GM Global Vehicle Line Executive, Electric Vehicle Development, said during his keynote address.
Engineers at GM Europe’s Technical Development Center in Russelsheim will use the vehicles to develop the Ampera’s ride and handling dynamics. Since 2008 GM has built more than 30 extended-range electric vehicle prototypes with the production-intent Voltec propulsion system.
“Electric vehicles like the Opel Ampera and the Chevrolet Volt have tremendous potential to displace petroleum and move transportation toward zero emissions,” Weber said. “We’ve set out to make a relevant electric vehicle that is safe, predictable and capable of being the primary vehicle for customers in Europe."
At the Opel stand, His Royal Highness listened while Weber explained the Ampera's high-tech features, such as the Voltec propulsion system consisting of a T-shaped battery pack, a 111 kW electric drive unit and an on-board engine generator of electricity.
The five-door, four-seat Ampera is a new type of electric car that is environmentally friendly and fun to drive. The Ampera will deliver up to 60 km of emission-free driving, via the 16 kW/h lithium-ion battery. Its electric motor can propel the Ampera more than 500 kilometers, thanks to an on-board engine-generator.
The Ampera and the Chevrolet Volt are scheduled to go into production in late 2011. The Ampera also will be offered in the United Kingdom by Vauxhall in 2012.
