Opel Ampera-e (2018): Price, delivery time, practice range

There are two variants in the configurator. If you are interested in the entry-level “Plus” model at a base price of 42,990 euros, Opel will put you off until the second half of 2018. Apparently only the “Ultimate” version is initially available, which includes leather seats, 17-inch alloy wheels and Onstar 48,385Euros. When asked, Opel does not say how many customers in Germany have paid 1,000 euros for a reservation so far. There is talk of 5,000 pre-orders in the industry. According to Automobilwoche, Chevrolet delivered 23,297 Bolt last year. The Chevy is identical to the Ampera-e and rolls off the same line at the GM plant in Orion (Michigan).

Opel wants to continue supplying Ampera-e

Sales in Germany should also Continue in 2018 and 2019: “The car will not be stopped,” explains Opel. The takeover by PSA also has no influence on this. The French partner has announced own electric car plans as part of PACE's future plan : The new Corsa will come with an electric drive in 2020 - until then, the Ampera-e should hold up the flag of electric mobility at Opel. The Grandland X comes with a plug-in hybrid a year earlier. From January to September, 104 Ampera-e were newly registered in Germany. This also includes demonstration vehicles from the 44 agents and fleet vehicles from Opel. In the same period, the Federal Motor Transport Authority counted 679 Nissan Leaf , 3.543 Renault Zoe and 2.987 BMW i3 (new registrations from January to September 2017).

In Norway, loud electrive.net 942 Ampera-e had been approved by October. Sales started there in May 2017. In October, Opel itself officially spoke of “around 1,000” Ampera-e “that have so far been sold in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Norway.

The battery is enough from Görlitz to Aachen?

Officially, the battery of the Opel Ampera-e lasts 520 kilometers. However, in the very gently driven New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). According to the more realistic WLTP, the electric car should be able to drive after 380 kilometers until the 60 kWh battery has to be plugged in again. The 750-kilometer route from Görlitz to Aachen is actually too far to be covered on one battery charge. Alexander Bloch and Albert Königshausen from Vox Auto Mobil tried it anyway - and almost made it.

745.9 kilometers on one battery charge

The team rolled with an average speed of 40 to 50 km /h on country roads from the easternmost city in Germany almost to the place name sign of Aachen. At theAt the end, 20 kilometers were missing - that's exactly the detour the team had to take due to construction sites. In the end, when the battery was empty, the odometer read 745.9 kilometers. The Ampera-e did not get that far at the i-Mobility e-car rally, but there it was able to prove that it can cover a route profile with several meters of altitude with the heating switched on quite economically and therefore with a practical range. More on this in the video above.

Sales first started in Norway

Sales of the Ampera-e first started in Norway, where it costs the equivalent of 33,416 euros. The Opel has received more than 4,000 orders there since December 2016. In Germany, the Ampera-e will cost 39,330 euros from autumn, minus the environmental bonus of 4,380 euros (2,000 euros from the state, 2,000 euros from Opel, 380 euros less VAT), the model will then be available for 34,950 euros.

Opel is offering a limited 'First Edition' for the first Ampera-e customers. The fully equipped model has a metallic paintwork, front camera with distance display and traffic sign recognition. Furthermore, a reversing camera including lane change, reversing and automatic parking assistants is on board. This is joined by leather upholstery with a heated leather steering wheel, heated seats at the front and rear and 17 ‑ inch light alloy wheels. The IntelliLink-e infotainment and Opel OnStar are supposed to ensure networking, the Bose sound system for entertainment. The Opel Ampera-e “First Edition costs 44,060 euros, minus the environmental bonus that is still valid until June 30, 2019, it is 39,680 euros.

Selected dealers sell the Ampera-e

The Ampera e arises from a joint development with the Chevrolet Bolt , which is already rolling on the market in the USA. And for this, GM recently announced a range of 383 kilometers in practice (after the recognized tough EPA cycle that does not allow recuperation).

For comparison: The BMW i3 , for example, just managed to get to 30 kWh after the battery update times 300 kilometers - according to NEDC. VW also has the e-Golf updated to the same range since spring. When Opel is on the market in autumn, it will have a range of 520 kilometers.

380 km practical range

With a range of more than 380 km under real conditions, it only clears 4.17 meters For a long time, Opel made the standard reservation about the everyday suitability of e-cars. Especially since it can refuel 150 additional kilometers in 30 minutes at 400 fast charging stations, which the federal government says will be available from the end of 2017should.

A full charge of your 60 kWh battery should be enough for most commuters for a whole week. But they don't have to do without decent driving performance: The electric motor delivers 360 Newton meters and 204 PS . The small, but 1.6-ton electric Opel accelerates from zero to 50 km /h in 3.2 seconds, and the intermediate sprint from 80 to 120 should take 4.5 seconds. The time for the standard sprint is 7.3 seconds. The maximum speed is limited to 150 km /h.

Chevrolet

The battery of the Chevrolet Bolt is identical to that of the Ampera-e and has a capacity of 60 kWh.

Even inside, the Ampera-e does not require passengers to do without. At 4.17 meters, the Ampera-e is 18 centimeters longer than the i3, for example. Its battery, which is twice as large with 60 kWh, has space on a 2.6 meter wheelbase between the axles in the vehicle floor and thus not only allows a relatively balanced weight distribution of 46 to 54 (front) for a front-wheel drive vehicle, but also a spacious interior.

Achim Hartmann

Whether in the extreme range test or on an electric car rally: the Opel Amper-e can score on any terrain!