GENEVA — A companion to the Chevrolet Volt, the battery-powered Opel Ampera, debuts this week at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, but it won't go on sale across Europe until 2011.
The four-door Ampera borrows heavily from the Volt's architecture and sheet metal and shares its basic technology, including a lithium-ion battery pack. A tiny engine is used as an extender, boosting the Ampera's range to more than 300 miles.
When it arrives at Opel and Vauxhall dealerships in about two years, General Motors says the Ampera will be the first battery-powered vehicle in Europe "suitable for everyday driving."
Inside Line says: A Volt by any other name is still… — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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