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CLEAN MOBILTIY: Opel is on the move toward cleaner mobility

2009-09-16

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Frankfurt/Rüsselsheim. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Opel underlines its commitment to cleaner mobility by introducing Start/Stop technology throughout its entire carline starting in 2010. The move is just one of many ways Opel is working to introduce technologies that preserve the environment and make them accessible to everyone.

Opel is constantly improving its family of ecoFLEX cars, the brand’s most fuel-efficient models. Later this year, the Insignia ecoFLEX adds a new 130 hp variant to its line-up. In January 2010, the brand will introduce a Corsa ecoFLEX that emits only 98 grams, the first vehicle by Opel to break the 100 g CO2 barrier.

Next up is a new Astra ecoFLEX with only 109 grams. In fact, the new Astra that debuts in Frankfurt features eight efficient engines which have improved overall fuel consumption by around 12 percent over the current generation.

Finally, the brand’s efforts continue with the extended-range electric vehicle Ampera which, when it is launched in 2011, will make it possible for families to drive an electric car anytime, anywhere.

 “We are doing everything we can to make our carbon footprint as small as possible,” says Carl-Peter Forster, Head of the Supervisory Board of Opel GmbH. “Starting with ecoFLEX featuring conventional technologies and up to the revolutionary Ampera extended-range electric car, we are working on a range of projects that are taking us several steps closer to making individual mobility sustainable.”

Start/Stop technology to be introduced across entire Opel car line 

The next major step for Opel is the introduction of the Start/Stop technology beginning next year.  Within the next 24 months, all major Opel lines will feature this technology.  Especially relevant in urban traffic, Start/Stop conserves energy by shutting off the engine when the vehicle is at rest, such as at a traffic light. The engine automatically re-starts when the driver steps on the clutch. 

Opel ecoFLEX line-up among industry lowest in CO2 emissions

The Start/Stop will complement Opel’s already existing technologies used in the ecoFLEX model range, which stars the lowest-emission, most fuel-efficient vehicles in the line-up. The ecoFLEX vehicles economize on fuel without skimping on driving fun or safety.  They are powered with diesel, but also offer gasoline, Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Compressed Natural Gas variants.

The range has been extended this year with two new models that combine very low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions with uncompromised performance at an accessible price.

The Insignia ecoFLEX, with a sleek body that boasts a Cd value of 0.26, is now available as a Sports Tourer wagon, in 160 hp and 130 hp variants. The sedan requires 5.2 liter diesel per 100 km and emits only 136 g/km CO2. The wagon needs just 5.3 liters to travel 100 km. A new 150 hp version of the Zafira CNG is now boosted by a turbocharger which makes it possible for a family of seven to drive a compact van that only releases 139 g/km CO2.

In January 2010, a new Corsa ecoFLEX 1.3 l CDTI emitting only 98 grams will be launched.  It will be followed by the new Astra ecoFLEX in spring 2010 that consumes only 4.2 l/100 km of diesel and discharges no more than 109 g/km CO2, making it one of the most fuel efficient compact cars packed with affordable, conventional technologies on the market.

“For years, we have been committed to providing accessible technical innovations and protecting our environment at all levels. This is what we do with our ecoFLEX models,” says Alain Visser, Vice President Opel. “This is not only our social responsibility; it is what our customers expect from us.”

Opel customers are particularly eco-conscious: Since January, nearly 40 percent of all Opel cars sold in Germany were ecoFLEX models.

Opel electric vehicle Ampera changes the game by extending the range

In the medium term, the Opel Ampera is key to sustainable mobility. Unlike conventional electric cars, this extended-range electric vehicle sports five doors and seats four people comfortably. Moreover, it is practical for driving any distance, any time. 

No longer just a dream, the Ampera took a big step towards production reality in August when engineers began testing development cars, called mules, at the Opel Dudenhofen Proving Ground. Engineers placed the Ampera’s revolutionary Voltec electric propulsion system inside the vehicle body of an existing production car.

The Ampera’s wheels are turned electrically at all times and speeds. For journeys up to 60 km, it runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery, and emits neither harmful greenhouse gases nor any other chemicals into the air. And, because most drivers travel less than 50 km per day, it meets all the needs of the average driver in its purely electric mode.

When a longer trip is required, electricity from an engine-generator extends the Ampera’s range to more than 500 km. The Ampera can be plugged into any household 230v outlet and is fully charged in about three hours. The engine-generator can be re-fueled at any gas station.