Opel confirms Ampera-e will debut at Paris motor show

Opel has confirmed that its electric Ampera-e hatchback will get its first public outing at the Paris motor show at the end of September, before going on sale towards the end of 2016.

The Ampera-e is basically identical, in all but badging and some minor details, to the Chevrolet Bolt, which was due to go on sale in the United States this month but has seen its first ordering dates now pushed back to November, uses a 203bhp, 360Nm electric motor fed by a rechargeable stack of lithium-ion batteries, and claims to have a one-charge range of 322km – significantly better than that of its current best competitor, the 36kWh version of the Nissan Leaf which can go for a claimed 250km.

The Ampera-e is likely to be significantly more expensive than the circa €25,000 Leaf though; US prices for the Bolt have been set at $37,500 before rebates, which would suggest an Irish price of as much as €38,000, even with the €10,000 discounts from both VRT and SEAI grants.

The last time Opel tried to sell an electric car with a circa €40,000 price tag it was the original, Chevrolet Volt-based Ampera saloon, and that sank without a sales trace.

Still, Opel seems keen for another crack at e-motoring with chief executive Karl-Thomas Neumann saying “electric vehicles have the potential to make a significant contribution to climate protection and emissions reduction. The new Opel Ampera-e will open the road to electric mobility by breaking down the barriers of high price and short driving range.”