Opel Automobile Overview page 13

Sustainable Mobility
e-mobility unlimited: Electric mobility at Opel
Opel Ampera: Electric car with extended range
The next milestone on the way to sustainable mobility is the
Opel Ampera. With the market introduction of the Ampera by
the end of 2011, Opel will found a new segment in the European
automotive market. The company thus underlines its role as
a trendsetter for progressive mobility solutions. With its unique
electrical drive system which combines excellent performance
with all the advantages of a highly innovative battery drive,
the five-door Ampera is the ideal vehicle for everyday use and
long-distance travel for four persons and their luggage.
The Opel Ampera is the first nearly emission-free electrically
driven car on the European market which does not require
any changes in accustomed driving habits. There is no need to
worry about being stranded with a flat battery thanks to the
extended range concept. The battery in the Ampera can be fully
charged in less than four hours at a normal domestic 230-Volt
socket, thereby underlining the everyday utility of the vehicle
and encouraging its use on pure battery power, as studies on
mobility behavior have confirmed.
Ampera
Fuel-cell vehicle with hydrogen as energy carrier
Opel and GM have been working on the combination of fuel cells
and hydrogen for more than ten years now. To date, the company
has invested over 1 billion euros in fuel cell technology and will
continue to pursue this commitment.
HydroGen4
The fourth generation of GM/Opel fuel-cell vehicles, the
HydroGen4, is completely emission-free – only steam comes
out of its exhaust pipe. Its environmentally friendly mobility is
based on the fuel-cell stack consisting of 440 series-connected
cells, in which hydrogen reacts with oxygen from the air. No
combustion takes place; instead, an electro-chemical reaction
produces an electric current. The only by-product is water;
no toxic emissions are produced.
The prototypes are already proving their everyday suitability in a
pilot project in Berlin, which is supported by the German Federal
Ministry of Transport. Since December 2008, ten HydroGen4
vehicles have been in use in the city as part of Opel's contribution
to the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP). As partners to Opel, nine
large companies – ADAC, Allianz, Axel Springer AG, Coca Cola,
Hilton, Linde, Schindler, Total and Veolia – are testing the vehicles
in everyday use.
Opel announced that it will expand the market testing of fuel
cell vehicles in Germany. In 2011 the successful tests which have
been going on for many years will be extended by a further fleet
in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). NRW joined the Clean Energy
Partnership (CEP) at the end of 2010.
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HydroGen4