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Opel Ampera wins top international ECOBEST award

2011-09-29

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Rüsselsheim.  There has been yet another award for the Opel Ampera. This time, Europe’s first electric car with ‘go anywhere at any time’ mobility has been awarded the “ECOBEST 2011” prize. The AUTOBEST panel of judges, made up of leading journalists from central and Eastern Europe, presented the prestigious award. The 15 judges, who represent a market of around 300 million people, praised the revolutionary propulsion system. They described it as the leading eco-technology in the automotive sector. The President of AUTOBEST, Ilja Seliktar, said he was sure that “many further awards for the Ampera” would follow.

The ECOBEST award is further evidence that the environmentally-friendly E-Mobility concept for daily use works well. Indeed, it represents yet another accolade in the string of prizes for the Ampera. Even before its sales launch at the end of this year, the Ampera took prizes such as the “Innovation Trophy” from France’s “L’Automobile” magazine and the “Green Technology Award” from the British “What Car” publication. Further awards followed, including the “Grüne Lenkrad” prize and the environmental prize from the Austrian traffic association, the “Verkehrsklub Österreich”. So far the Ampera has scooped more than a dozen awards, including the recent “ÖkoGlobe 2011” in Germany and the “E-Award 2011” in which the readers from the AUTOTEST magazine nominated their favorite electric production car. The Ampera has also become a real magnet for the general public. It was one of the highlights at the recent Frankfurt International Motor Show and has already received more than 6,000 pre-orders.

Exemplary weighted performance: only 27g/km combined emissions

The Ampera which recently scored a maximum of five starts in the Euro-NCAP test sets novel standards in every respect, whether it is safety, daily roadworthiness or environmental sustainability. In the purely electric mode, the vehicle can cover a distance of between 40 and 80 kilometers without emissions but with battery use. The performance figures are subject to certain conditions such as driving style, road surface and exterior temperature. The electric range of between 40 and 80 km is sufficient for the typical daily route of the average European. Every time the battery reaches its minimum power levels, the gasoline engine is automatically activated and then feeds the electric generator that in turn supplies the battery. Consequently, the range of the five-door, four seater is boosted to more than 500 kilometers without stopping off en route. The Ampera’s weighted and combined consumption figure in line with Regulation (EC) 715/2007 is 1.2 liters on 100 kilometers and 27g/km CO₂