Opel Unveils New Ampera – And it Looks Really Good
I wasn’t expecting to be impressed with the new Opel Ampera (the Chevy Volt’s European cousin). In fact, I was convinced I would find something dull, unimaginative and lacking in technical innovation.
But instead, I believe that I’ve actually found the only serious contender to replace the Audi A3 TDI that’s sitting on my driveway right now.
This week GM invited Gas 2.0 to witness the unveiling of the Opel Ampera, to go on sale in Europe in 2011.
- » See also: Is the Renault-Nissan Alliance Going in Two Different Electric Car Directions?
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The Ampera not only looks great but features genuinely innovative technology, which according to GM vice Chairman Bob Lutz will ‘leapfrog the competition’. With a 16 kWh advanced lithium ion battery pack the Ampera has a battery range of 60km – not far, but far enough to satisfy the average daily requirement of 80% of German drivers – after which the gasoline powered engine begins to generate electricity enabling a total range of 500km.
GM’s Frank Weber, engineering lead on the Voltec drive train which underpins the Volt and the Ampera goes to some length to explain how this approach differs from the competition. Instead of driving the wheels directly with an option for electrical assistance (as is the case in the majority of today’s hybrids), the Voltec engine generates electricity only, allowing it to operate in the most efficient part of the fuel map while the power transmission is entirely electric. The result is an estimated running cost only 1/5th that of similarly sized conventional cars.
However, what’s most impressive is the passion and enthusiasm demonstrated by the Opel team for this product. In the Ampera they have created a stunning yet practical car which ticks every box on my A3 replacement list.
In short, it is one of the few cars that I saw at this year’s Geneva Motor Show which inspires a genuine feeling of desire – of the kind that makes one forget the poor economic arguments for cars in a country well served by public transport, and makes you just want to write the cheque and own it.
The Ampera is on my shopping list..
More Images
Fast Facts:
- 220 lithium-ion cells
- Nearly silent electric drive unit delivers 370 Nm of instant torque
- Equivalent of 150 horsepower,
- Zero to 100 km/h acceleration in around nine seconds, and a top speed of 161 km/h.
Images © GM Corp, with permission.
What does “the Voltec engine generates electricity only” mean?
It means that it’s not connected to the wheels. It generates electricity, and the transmission is entirely electric.
Nice! Quite honestly I like the design of the Ampera better than I do the Volt, but then again European models tend to be cooler looking to me in most cases.
What is the gain of efficiency of this powertrain system (thermic motor to battery to electric motor to wheels, if you compare with thermic motor to wheels?
I’m not convinced that it will be so efficient…
The efficiency gains come about because the engine can run in the most efficient range of its fuel map, rather than running at variable speeds and loads as happens under normal driving conditions - many of which are quite inefficient.
It reminds me of when my cat gets those eye goobers and it makes black streaks down his face. Of course in a sexy automotive way
Is this what the SAAB AeroX suppose to be? Look very similar to me.
It’s about time that someone figured out that the old Diesel Electric train engine has been extremely efficient for a long time.
Very cool looking!
Not only can the engine operate at it’s most efficient rpm, but the engine can be tuned specifically for that rpm to squeak out every bit efficiency. If you look at the torque curve (i.e. torque vs. rpm) of a conventional IC car engine, you’ll see that it’s tuned to be very flat in the range 1000-6000 rpm. That’s due to engineers having
to compromise between driveability (good low-rpm torque), acceleration (good high-rpm torque) and marketable horsepower numbers. Things like 4-valves/cyl, variable-port intake runners, and variable valve timing have helped it be less of a compromise, but those technologies cost money and have mainly been used for improving performance rather than efficiency.
When the engine is going to be run at only a small rpm range, say 2000-3000, you can use a simple cam, valve-train, intake manifold, etc.–all tuned simply but precisely for that narrow rpm range. Not only that, but the bore/stroke ratio, compression ratio, etc. can be optimized as well. I wouldn’t doubt they end up being the most efficient IC engines ever built.
404Lance said:
“…then again European models tend to be cooler looking to me…”
Does Fabio qualify?