GM delays the deliveries of Opel/Vauxhall Ampera on battery worries
By Andrew, 13 Dec, 2011. 0 Comments
2012 Opel Ampera
Deliveries of the Ampera plug-in hybrid to Europe have been delayed, according to General Motors Co.'s Opel/Vauxhall unit. The U.S. authorities’ investigations over the battery fires are ongoing. A total of three battery fires on the Chevrolet Volt took place weeks after the crash tests conducted by the government. An Opel spokesman told Automotive News Europe that no cars will be delivered to customers while the process to deal with the issue is being set up “to make sure they are safe.”
The Ampera has already started deliveries to dealers in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland. Last June, Opel said that the Ampera would be entering the European market by the end of 2011. Meanwhile, a Vauxhall spokeswoman said that the Ampera remains on track for a previous plan to launch the vehicle in the UK in May. The Ampera is produced together with the Volt at GM's Hamtramck plant near Detroit.
The same technology is used by the two cars, including the lithium-ion batteries that power the electric motor. However, their body styling is different. GM said that 10,000 Amperas will be offered to markets in Europe next year. The Volt started delivery for Europe last week with the arrival of the first two cars to the U.S. embassy in Paris. According to a Chevrolet spokesman, the European rollout of the Volt is unaffected by the crash-test fires. The spokesman said that the cars have already begun arriving at European dealerships. Volt sales in the U.S. started last year.
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