By Michael Accardi

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Talk about proof of concept, Opel drove its new rebadged Chevy Bolt 417 kilometers (260 miles) from London to Paris for its debut at the biannual motor show.

In fact, even after arriving at the Mondial de l’Automobile, the Ampera-e’s on-board computer was still reporting a remaining range of 80 km (50 miles), demonstrating the EV’s impressive 500 km (311 miles) range. Opel claims its new BEV outperforms its closest segment rival by 100 km, at least.

“With the new Ampera-e, we continue the largest model offensive in Opel’s history,” said Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. “The Ampera-e with its outstanding range makes electric mobility fully feasible for everyday use and also lots of fun.”

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Yes the Ampera-e’s 500 km of range does equate to a Chevrolet Bolt crunching 310 miles, compared to 238 as the U.S. EPA says, the discrepancy is courtesy of the New European Driving Cycle’s (NEDC) far more relaxed testing procedure compared to the EPA.

Opel is quick to point out that your mileage may vary; while it’s certainly rated for 500 km on the NEDC cycle, the European test cycle doesn’t accurately reflect real world driving conditions. So Opel also subjected the Ampera-e to the the far more stringent Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), where it delivered an estimated 380 km (236 miles) in simulated real world driving cycle, bringing it back in line with it’s Chevy kin.

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In addition to the Ampera-e’s frugality, Opel says it also offers the “the feistiness of a sportscar” courtesy of its 204 horsepower/266 pounds-feet electric motors helping it accelerate to 50 km/h (31 mph) in 3.2 seconds, and its 60 kWh capacity batteries integrated into the underbody, lowering the Ampera-e’s center-of-gravity.

“Our Ampera-e is not eco-luxury, not a gadget and not just a second car. Opel is showing that electro-mobility is also achievable for a much broader audience thanks to the most innovative technology,’ Neumann continued. “Opel is democratizing the electric car with the Ampera-e.”

This article originally appeared at GMInsideNews

 

I would love to get my hands on a Bolt or Tesla for a month. Having owned 3 Volt's since March 2012 (2012, 2013 and now a 2017) I have been able to exceed the EPA rating by a minimum of 30% 9 months out of a year and just at or about 10% below during our "winter" months here in southern Illinois. Yes I'm blessed in that we have almost no elevation changes and my daily commute to/from work is 22 miles (reason why I bought the 2012 Volt in the first place). Yes my cars are seldom driven on LONG trips at highway speeds and major elevation changes, but that's my life.

Right now every morning when I depart home for work the GOM on my 2017 hovers at 70 miles and I have been able to keep it there for the last two weeks now that our weather has moderated.

I bet in my motor pool I could shatter the EPA ratings on a BEV. I have the right tool for the job as I still wouldn't want to try a long distance road trip in ANY BEV due current charging infrastructure and limatations especially after arriving at your destination.

I could drive a Bolt weeks on a full charge.

 

Wow, easily breaking 200 miles has barely sunk in, and they are already talking about 300 miles being possible. Tesla seems to have awoken a sleeping giant.

 

Great to hear!

The first photo really makes the car look small. Hard to call this a CUV.

A great form factor for a small car but I just wish they would make it bigger.

 

I like that colour Yellow. Is it available in Canada?

 

Very nice job! I wonder how fast they were driving to get that far and still have miles on the Guess-o-meter?
Time to trot out the wish list for follow ons to the current Bolt? Yes?
How about a Bolt SS 75D, AWD, 75 kWh pack, two motors like the Tesla D's and 280 miles of combined AER. 5.5 second 0-60, not blinding fast, but fun. Capable of 75 kW charge rate. No huge changes other than the second motor. Just incremental improvements. I wonder if the Bolt platform, whatever it is, is capable of fitting a second motor and drivetrain in the back. Considering how compact the motor is, maybe?

 

The Bolt is 2" taller and 8" longer than a Honda Fit, which it is frequently compared to since they are both roomy sub-compacts. But the Fit is a SMALL car, albeit a well designed one.
The Bolt is 3" taller than the Sonic 4 door, though the Sonic is 9" longer.
The interior of the Bolt is roomier than either though.
This is not the platform I had hoped GM would use. It is too small for the majority of potential BEV buyers. It is roomy but it looks slightly clown car'ish due to the short length. Unfortunate, but it will still sell fairly well due to the lack of competition. Nothing else available soon comes close.

nuclearboy :
Great to hear!


The first photo really makes the car look small. Hard to call this a CUV.


A great form factor for a small car but I just wish they would make it bigger.

 

Don't be surprised if that number hits 400 miles by the end of next year, to where one weekend charge lasts most owners all workweek.
A 15 year life with the anti-dendrite (anti-degradation) simple formulation advancement could push this forward.

 

I expect to read about the first production Bolt EV tomorrow, the first sale next week, and the first delivery to a customer by the end of October which can be Lyft. Then the first dealer deliveries by mid-November, and in that same month and before Thanksgiving Day, the first dealer sales.

And I predict that the first Bolt EV in a forum member hands will be way before Christmas Day!

Raymond

 

I think that we are convinced the Bolt will meet many of our needs!

How about showing us a price list and an ordering form?????



Jim - C-5277

 

"Opel drove its new rebadged Chevy Bolt 417 kilometers (260 miles) from London to Paris
------

First/only Ampera-e to ever set foot in the UK.... for some time

 

nuclearboy ,


nuclearboy :
Great to hear!


The first photo really makes the car look small. Hard to call this a CUV.


A great form factor for a small car but I just wish they would make it bigger.

Given that they re-engineered the concept of the interior having not needed as much space for an engine in front, I bet we'll find it's much more roomier and spacious than it looks from the outside.

 

I like the Ampera-e logo. Reminds me of Star Wars for some reason.

 

Awe inspiring numbers, right where GM needs to be to dominate the EV market place!

 

The news keeps getting better and better!

I too would like to know about variants. Such as a replacement for ELR but EV. (And no, CT6 is not a replacement for an ELR.)

Or maybe something Buick. Two-door. Ragtop. Sporty. Fast.

 

It's a stunt, but it's a great stunt. Hats off to Opel marketing department for coming up with this attention grabbing drive. You can talk about miles of range in the abstract, but actually driving from London to Paris makes it much easier for people to understand. Plus actually driving the route, rather than just saying, this many miles of range could get you there, offers the opportunity to drive in a way that easily exceeds the range.

Love it.

 

Kdawg :
I like the Ampera-e logo.Reminds me of Star Wars for some reason.>Probably the similar style font (not the same).

 

My local dealer told me no new allocations for Bolts popped up in their system during their latest allocation update yesterday. So no orders for at least 2 more weeks.

 

nuclearboy : The first photo really makes the car look small.

I had that thought too. Something about that first picture makes the Bolt look almost unattractive -- unlike all others I've seen. Hard to say why. Is it the color? The background? Even the same scene from a different angle (second picture) makes the Bolt look fine, and about twice as big. It also shows that the car is at an angle; not evident in the first photo unless you look closely at the size of the front and rear wheels.

 

Ziv :
The Bolt is 2″ taller and 8″ longer than a Honda Fit, which it is frequently compared to since they are both roomy sub-compacts. But the Fit is a SMALL car, albeit a well designed one.The Bolt is 3″ taller than the Sonic 4 door, though the Sonic is 9″ longer. The interior of the Bolt is roomier than either though. This is not the platform I had hoped GM would use. It is too small for the majority of potential BEV buyers. It is roomy but it looks slightly clown car’ish due to the short length. Unfortunate, but it will still sell fairly well due to the lack of competition. Nothing else available soon comes close.

Who says GM can't make a larger BEV using the same platform? Most vehicle platforms are fairly flexible. And are often designed with different widths and wheelbases in mind. If the Bolt EV is the "short wheelbase variant" then in theory GM could have a future car that is a couple inches wider and a wheelbase that could be as much as 6" longer. Also the front and rear overhangs are quite short on the Bolt EV so there is room to grow there as well.

Just as a note the Bolt EV has a 102.4" wheelbase. The 2018 Equinox is 107.3".

If GM could do a mid-sized AWD Cadillac BEV sedan with a ~108" wheelbase with 400HP + AWD priced at ~$55K then Tesla would have some major challenges.

 

Ziv : it looks slightly clown car’ish due to the short length.

"Shortness" is going to be a feature of all BEVs, with no need to accommodate a large gas engine. Again, I blame that first photo for exaggerating the trait.

 

Well, as we all know, you can't actually drive from London to Paris. There is the small matter of crossing the English Channel. How much of the 260 miles was actually driven and how much was accomplished by train or ferry?

 

Kdawg :
I like the Ampera-e logo.Reminds me of Star Wars for some reason.
As a Frenchman, André-Marie Ampère would be very proud!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9-Marie_Amp%C3%A8re

He would love to drive it!!

Raymond

 

Larry4pyro ,

Watch the silly video.

 

Jackson : “Shortness” is going to be a feature of all BEVs, with no need to accommodate a large gas engine.Again, I blame that first photo for exaggerating the trait.
I hope that the "short" BEV nose and hood is compensated by well enginered crash protection, since that is the section that gets the most "impact" (pun intended!). It is troubling for me since I grew up riding and driving long hooded sedans, up to my 1995 Buick Regal.

By now, most car buyers accept that feature on many new vehicles. For a BEV, there is little worry about space for servicing, since only some fluids are the only checkpoints under the hood. But it may be worse for hybrids that have both powertrains in the same short space.

As BEVs get more efficient, they will use less coolants, and I predict by 2050 the arrival of BEVs with a sealed hood, when no user servicing will be needed or allowed (depending on the manufacturer). I won't be around to see that!

Raymond