Opel sharpens its brand profile and underscores its leading role in flexibility, design and environmentally friendliness at the 80th International Auto Show in Geneva. In addition to the world debut of the next generation Meriva, which emphasizes new flexibility solutions, the presentation of the concept car Flextreme GT/E underpins Opel’s credo of building eco-friendly propulsion systems and sensational design.
“Our brand offers solutions which no other competitor has in their program,” Opel CEO Nick Reilly said at a press conference today. “This is only the beginning of our product offensive, in which we will completely renew our portfolio in the coming years.”
Reilly views the Flextreme GT/E as an important part of his strategy to make the company fit for the future. In particular, Opel is focusing on environmentally-friendly vehicles and will invest in the next few years alone some one billion euros specifically for alternative propulsion technology.
In addition to the Ampera, which will be the first E-REV model in Europe when it is introduced to the market next year, further propulsion variants are being developed. Small battery-operated cars which are ideal for shorter distances and vehicles with hybrid propulsion are planned. Opel will also continue its work on hydrogen vehicles like the HydroGen4.
The Ampera’s suitability for everyday driving was proven with a long-distance drive to the Geneva Motor Show. The four-seater confidently covered the journey from Opel’s Rüsselsheim headquarters to the Geneva trade show grounds – a distance of around 550 kilometers. The Ampera travelled the first 60 kilometers purely on battery power. Then, the small gasoline-powered engine generated electricity to recharge the battery. The trip was designed to show that any range anxiety fears — being stranded by a flat battery – are unfounded, as the engine can be refueled at any filling station. In daily traffic, the Ampera will operate in pure electric mode most of the time, as the majority of commuters travel less than 60 kilometers per day.
The vehicle strategy Opel calls e-mobility unlimited is topped off by the Flextreme GTE. The show car for the Geneva Motor Show demonstrates that E-REV propulsion is also suitable for larger vehicles. The show car also will make an impression with its aerodynamic design and a host of high-tech features.
Source: http://media.opel.com/content/media/intl/en/news/news_detail.brand_gm.html/content/Pages/news/intl/en/2010/geneva/opel/03_02_opel_sharpens_profile