Europcar to introduce Opel Ampera extended range EV as a rental car throughout Europe
11 July 2011
|
|
| Opel Ampera. Click to enlarge. |
Opel and Europcar have agreed to introduce the Opel Ampera extended range electric vehicle (earlier post) as a rental car throughout Europe. The market introduction of the Opel Ampera (the European cousin of the Chevy Volt) is due by the end of 2011.
The goal is to deploy the first vehicles in Europcar rental outlets in Germany in November of this year, followed soon afterwards by Belgium and the Netherlands. The Opel Ampera will then be rolled out throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom from the beginning of 2012.
Electric cars are among the best long-term solutions to meet society’s energy and environmental challenges. The fact that Europcar is going to introduce the Opel Ampera to its day-to-day business is further proof that our extended-range electric vehicle is completely suitable for everyday use—even as a fleet vehicle in the tough rental car business.
—Opel/Vauxhall Vice President Sales, Marketing & Aftersales Europe, Alain Visser
On booking, customers are advised to plan 10-15 minutes for the handover to allow for an introduction to the features of the Ampera. Trained Europcar employees will explain a range of topics including battery charging, the range extender, as well as other special functions and features such as the energy consumption and energy efficiency displays.
In addition, customers will receive advice on energy-efficient driving in battery operation and how to recuperate energy when braking. Customers will also have the opportunity to give feedback through online chats and questionnaires.
Europcar provides electric and hybrid vehicles. For the second time, Europcar was named the World’s Leading Green Transport Solution Company in 2010 by the World Travel Awards.
The wheels of the Ampera are electrically driven at all times. A 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack feeds an advanced, 111 kW/150 hp electric drive unit to deliver between 40 and 80 km of pure electric operation with zero emissions—depending on driving conditions—when fully charged.
According to the ECE R101 regulation for measuring fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, the Ampera consumes less than 1.6 L/100 km (147 mpg US) and emits less than 40 g/km CO2 (preliminary data). The car is not only suited for use in the car rental industry as it delivers the no-compromise mobility that rental customers require, the partners say, it also eliminates the risk for the rental company of having to recover a car as a result of it running out of battery power.
Europcar is the leading vehicle rental company in Europe, providing car mobility to 6 million customers.
Electric cars with range assist are coming!! Yeah!!
Posted by: citizen | 11 July 2011 at 01:42 PM
Opel Ampera should do quite well as a rental in Europe where unleaded gasoline ranges around $8-9 per gallon! Why pay for gas when you can get 65km for $1.20 in electricity?
And electricity is going to cost virtually a penny per kWh going forward. The cost of electricity will approach something near zero given the new methods of making it.
Voila! EVs will rule.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 11 July 2011 at 02:03 PM
I just wonder how many they can deploy, it is probably in limited production right now.
Posted by: SJC | 11 July 2011 at 03:36 PM
@ Reel$$
"The cost of electricity will approach something near zero given the new methods of making it."
What planet do you live on?
Posted by: Mannstein | 11 July 2011 at 04:42 PM
The same planet as NASA Chief Scientist Dennis Bushnell - referring to LANR-CF:
"I think we are almost over the "we do not understand it" problem.I think we are almost over the "this does not produce anything useful problem. I think this will go forward fairlyrapidly now. If it does, this is capable of, by itself, completely changing geo-economics, geo-politics, and solving climate issues."
Er, where have you been?
Posted by: Reel$$ | 11 July 2011 at 06:42 PM
I have not looked into it lately, but cold fusion came and went 20 years ago. One of the tests was that others be able to repeatedly reproduce the results and they could not.
Posted by: SJC | 11 July 2011 at 07:40 PM
With thin film solar under $1 per watt already and aiming to be half that soon, home owners with solar PV will manage close to 1 pence per kWh in the near future.
A 4 kW array would give 3,000 kWh per year, enough for 12,000 all-electric miles in an EV. After the first three years, it's paid for itself in gasoline savings.
Posted by: clett | 12 July 2011 at 01:56 AM
I find the idea of charging an EV with solar panels a good way to go. Sure you provide power to the grid during the day and charge at night, but the grid needs the power during the day and has capacity at night.
Posted by: SJC | 12 July 2011 at 07:54 AM
I live in a region which is almost always cloudy.
Posted by: Mannstein | 12 July 2011 at 01:57 PM
Me too at the moment. So, why should I pay big utilities .12-.20 cents a kWh when we know how to make energy over unity? And utilize the excess heat? At a cost of about $100/kW with off shelf parts?
This is disruptive technology and it has come to the fore because old fiefdoms refused to share resources, knowledge and power. The result is they will lose it.
The message is for ALL people - not a self-appointed few.
Posted by: Reel$$ | 13 July 2011 at 11:31 AM