The Chevy Volt gets a U.K.-Market-Twin....the Vauxhall Ampera.
07-21-14, 10:16 AM
#16
Opel Ampera Going to the Gallows
Europe’s counterpart to the Chevrolet Volt is slated for discontinuation.
With virtually no sales, the Opel Ampera is going to be killed off in conjunction with a mid-cycle refresh to the Chevrolet Volt for the 2016 model year according to a report by Automotive News. General Motors is ramping up its battery engineering effort in Michigan by investing $65 million into its Brownstown battery plant and $449 million into the Detroit-Hamtramck plant where the Volt is assembled.
The Ampera is a re-badged version of the Volt that is sold under GM’s Opel and Vauxhall European brands. Through 2013, Opel sold 3,184 Amperas and things are even worse this year.
Meanwhile, Chevrolet is continuing to slowly improve the Volt for the North American market. For 2015, the company is adding a 17.1-kWh battery compared to the 16-kWh pack in the Volt when it first launched. Currently, the car uses a 16.5-kWh battery.
With virtually no sales, the Opel Ampera is going to be killed off in conjunction with a mid-cycle refresh to the Chevrolet Volt for the 2016 model year according to a report by Automotive News. General Motors is ramping up its battery engineering effort in Michigan by investing $65 million into its Brownstown battery plant and $449 million into the Detroit-Hamtramck plant where the Volt is assembled.
The Ampera is a re-badged version of the Volt that is sold under GM’s Opel and Vauxhall European brands. Through 2013, Opel sold 3,184 Amperas and things are even worse this year.
Meanwhile, Chevrolet is continuing to slowly improve the Volt for the North American market. For 2015, the company is adding a 17.1-kWh battery compared to the 16-kWh pack in the Volt when it first launched. Currently, the car uses a 16.5-kWh battery.
07-21-14, 12:21 PM
#17
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
BTW....for those of you who are unaware of it, Vauxhall products are usually just Opel products sold in the U.K.....with right-hand drive, of course. Outside of the U.K., on the European Continent, the name Opel and left-drive prevails. Both brands, of course, retain their parent ties to GM of Europe. Sometimes there are also ties with right-hand-drive Australian Holden products....also linked to GM.
07-21-14, 12:51 PM
#18
Lexus Champion
BTW....for those of you who are unaware of it, Vauxhall products are usually just Opel products sold in the U.K.....with right-hand drive, of course. Outside of the U.K., on the European Continent, the name Opel and left-drive prevails. Both brands, of course, retain their parent ties to GM of Europe. Sometimes there are also ties with right-hand-drive Australian Holden products....also linked to GM.
To further complicate matters, the Volt (the original) is also being sold in Europe (IIRC).
No wonder Opel / Vauxhall are in trouble: GM is playing badge-engineering again and insists on selling some of the same vehicles under both Chevrolet AND Opel / Vauxhall badges in Europe.
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