Will new Ampera really be a ‘game-changer’?

It will be interesting to see if the GM/Opel Ampera-e is as “game-changing” as the company claims it will be when it is launched next year.

Mary Barra, chairman and chief executive officer of GM, took the trouble to visit Germany and the CAR Symposium in Bochum, to announce the project.

GM has persisted with its electric car programme since the launch of Volt, it now remains to be seen if its products can match competitors like Nissan with its Leaf

Opel Group says it “will launch a revolutionary new battery electric car next year, as the company continues the biggest, most far-reaching model offensive in its history with 29 new models between 2016 and 2020”.

The new five-door, five seat Ampera-e will not only have a longer range on a full charge than most electric cars, but will be “affordably priced”, whatever that means.

Building on the electrification expertise established with the original Ampera, which GM claims “set the benchmark” for modern electric cars in 2011, the new Ampera-e combines innovative electric-mobility with state-of-the-art connectivity and exciting driving dynamics.

Barra said: “GM and Opel have always been convinced that electric cars will play a defining role in future mobility. The game-changing technology of the Ampera-e is a significant step toward realizing that vision. Our new battery electric car is also another boost for Opel’s reputation for making innovative engineering widely accessible.”

According to Opel “trends like urbanization and protecting the environment also call for new kinds of mobility and alternative propulsion systems”.

 “Electric vehicles have the potential to make a significant contribution to climate protection and emissions reduction”, says Opel group chief executive officer Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. “The new Ampera-e will open the road to electric mobility by breaking down the barriers of high price and short driving range.

The compact proportions of the Ampera-e are driven by the flat battery pack mounted underneath the interior floor. Battery packaging offers a roomy interior providing comfortable seating for five passengers and trunk space comparable with that of a car in the compact class.

One can also expect, in line with offerings from other OEMs, that Ampera-e will also offer personal connectivity as well as GM’s service assistant, OnStar together with connectivity and infotainment technologies that will integrate smartphones and other electronic devices “seamlessly” into the vehicle.