BMW Invests More in its 'i' Project, Snatches Chevy Volt’s Lead Engineer from GM

BMW recently acquired Frank Weber, formerly head of Opel/Vauxhall's product planning division and lead engineer on Chevrolet's Volt. Automotive News Europe reports that he will become head of BMW's vehicle architecture and integration division.

Weber will be in control of EfficientDynamics (the green stuff), driver safety/assistance tech, and "full vehicle concepts and architecture", as well as bringing a whole bunch of electrical wizardry and know-how to BMW's nascent electric future.

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GM Reportedly Readying Buick Version of Opel Ampera

Sure, the Opel Ampera is nothing more than a Chevrolet Volt with some extremely mild cosmetic changes, but doppelgangers have always had a very special place in the wonderful world of General Motors. If Bloomberg’s inside sources are right, GM is currently looking into the development of a Buick-badged version of the plug-in hybrid Opel Ampera. According to people familiar with the project, the Buick model could go on sale in 2013, if the plans goes ahead.

Given that the styling changes over the Chevrolet Volt would be limited to a Buick-specific grille and bumper designs, one of the most significant problems GM faces is how to justify the car and its higher price tag which would be in excess of the Volt’s base MSRP of US$41,000 not including a $7,500 federal tax credit.

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Chevrolet to Sell Volt in Europe, Priced from €41,950 or €1,000 Less than the Opel Ampera

Chevrolet announced at the Geneva Motor Show that it will sell the Volt in Europe, with prices in Germany starting from €41,950 (US$58,560). It will be similarly priced in other European markets, where it will arrive in November 2011.

The Volt's sister car, the Opel Ampera, will also go on sale this year in Europe, at a slightly higher starting price. Unveiled in final production form at the Geneva Show, the Ampera will cost €42,900 ($59,885), but prices can vary in different countries depending on the standard equipment.

Chevrolet said the Volt would be fully equipped with all the usual safety and convenience features, plus leather seats. As in the US, European buyers will have an 8-year/160,000 km warranty (100,000 miles) on the powertrain and the lithium-ion battery.

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Opel Ampera EV Police Cruiser: Volt's European Cousin Getting Ready for Patrol

If there's one way to kick-start sales of specialty vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt and its European counterpart, the Opel Ampera, that's by enlisting the government as one of your clients. And with a starting price of €42,900 (about US$58,000 at the current exchange rates) in Europe, GM's Opel division will need all the help it can get to sell the Ampera.

Well before the Ampera hits European showrooms at the end of the year, Opel is already exploring the possibility of a police package for its range-extended electric vehicle. According to the company, the Ampera could be the perfect police car for urban use.

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New Opel Ampera to Sell for €42,900 or US$59,100 in Europe

General Motors announced today that the European version of its extended-range Chevrolet Volt electric car, the Ampera, will go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2011 as an Opel in mainland Europe and as a Vauxhall in the UK, with prices -including tax- starting from €42,900.

At the current exchange rates, that comes to around US$59,100, which is significantly higher than the base price of the Volt in the USA that sells for US$41,000 (€29,800) not including a $7,500 federal tax credit.

Opel noted that in Germany, with 19 percent VAT, the Ampera net price is €36,050, adding that, because trim levels may be different in each market, prices in each country may also differ.

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First Pre-Production 2012 Opel Ampera EV Rolls off the Line

The first pre-production 2012 Opel Ampera, or the European market version of the Chevrolet Volt, rolled off the line at GM's assembly plant in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, April 23, marking an important milestone in the project.

General Motors said that the it build more pre-production Amperas in the coming months. The pre-production vehicles will not be sold at dealerships, but used for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and control.

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Geneva Show: Opel Flextreme GT/E Concept for a Sportier Volt

If you find the Opel / Vauxhall Ampera and consequently the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrids a little too plain and boring for your tastes, then you ought to a look at this handsome conceptual proposal from GM's European arm.

The 4.7-meter long Opel Flextreme GT/E concept with its coupe-like proportions and suicide-style rear doors illustrates how GM's extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology can be plugged into a larger size vehicle with a more emotional design DNA.

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2011 Opel / Vauxhall Ampera Plug-in Hybrid: Production Version of European Volt Spied Completely Undisguised!

The most enlightening spy photos of the production version of the 2011 Opel Ampera plopped in our inbox today. At first we thought it was just the concept model out testing, but a closer look at the completely undisguised Ampera with the German license plates revealed that this is the actual production model that's due to go on sale in Europe and the UK (as a Vauxhall) in late 2011.

A sister model to the North American Chevrolet Volt, the road-ready Ampera features a few minor styling tweaks and additions over last year's concept model (see pictures here).

At the front-end of the plug-in hybrid, we find a slightly revised front grille, relocated front turning signals, plain black decorative trim on the bumper and the addition of washers on the bonnet.

At the back, the boot lid spoiler has been extended and features a larger third-stop light, while the reflectors on the corners of the bumper have been pushed outwards and the diffuser on the bumper has been redesigned and incorporates center mounted lights.

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Opel Flextreme GT/E: Sporty Saloon Concept with Chevy Volt Powertrain

A conceptual study that demonstrates how General Motors' extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology can be utilized in larger and more stylish cars than the Chevy Volt and its European twin, the Opel Ampera, will be the star of the German brand's stand at next month's Geneva Motor Show.

"The Flextreme GT/E concept shows the shape of things to come from Opel," says Frank Weber, Vice President, Corporate and Product Planning. "Bold, expressive and highly efficient, it represents the product strategy we will apply to all our future vehicles, large and small, across all market segments."

Described by Opel as a 'five-door coupe', the 4.7-meter (185-in.) long Flextreme GT/E concept that adopts the new Meriva's rear-hinged rear doors also illustrates a further development of the firm's current design language as seen on the Insignia, Astra and Meriva.

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Opel Teases New Concept Car with Volt Powertrain Ahead of 2010 Geneva Motor Show

It's been a while since we last saw a concept model from GM's Opel / Vauxhall brands, but the company is planning a 'green' surprise for this year's edition of the Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March.

Opel said that the new concept car "couples expressive, beautiful design with German engineering to meet the environmental challenges of tomorrow" and that the study "is proof that size and comfort do not have to be sacrificed for a vehicle to be environmentally efficiency."

Other than that, all we have to go on for now is this teaser image that shows the concept's front grille and incorporates the 'Voltec' logo, meaning that the study makes use of the Volt's plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Earlier this week, Opel / Vauxhall boss Nick Reilly revealed that GM's European unit is planning to launch an extended-range electric vehicle in addition to the Ampera (a.k.a. the European Volt) in the very near future, so the new concept will most likely give us an idea of what the car will be.

The new concept model will be escorted in Geneva by the new Meriva small MPV, the Ampera and the updated Corsa supermini.