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Chevy Volt demand high in Europe

General Motors may have had to slow production of the Chevy Volt in the U.S. due to low demand, but it's flying out the door of dealerships in Europe.

The Opel Ampera, the European version of the extended range hybrid, went on sale in Europe in February, and has already received more than 7,000 orders, according to a Digital Trends article. That's almost as many plug-in hybrids the automaker sold in the U.S. all of last year.

Chevy sold 7,671 Volts in 2011 and 1,023 units last month in the U.S. In … Read more

In Europe, the hybrids are coming

GENEVA--As hybrids gained ascendancy in the U.S., Europe showed little interest, with diesels proving more popular. But if the 2010 Geneva auto show is any indication, that preference is about to change.

Toyota showed two hatchback hybrids, one under its own brand and one as a Lexus, with both building on the successful Prius power train. BMW and Audi both showed luxury hybrid sedans as concepts, with feature lists that show them ready for production, and Volkswagen announced a hybrid version of its Touareg SUV.

Chevrolet is growing its presence, and brought its Volt to the show, while Opel'… Read more

Concept cars show new design, technology

GENEVA--The financial woes of the last few years caused automakers to scale back on outlandish concepts, using their design resources for more immediate and practical work. But the 2010 Geneva auto show sees the return of at least a few interesting concepts.

Some are so heavily design-oriented that they don't resemble anything in the automaker's current stable, and probably never will. Features like touch screens running along the entire dashboard and cameras for side-view mirrors may only show up when we get flying cars.

Others do presage technologies slated for production cars. Most of these concepts are specified … Read more

BorgWarner Turbo Technology gives CNG-Powered cars a boost

BorgWarner will supply turbochargers for the Opel 1.6-liter compressed natural gas (CNG) engine and the VW 1.4-liter TSI EcoFuel engine.

CNG engines produce about 70 percent less nitrous oxide than diesel engines and about 25 percent less carbon dioxide than gasoline engines, but are slower to accelerate than the fossil fuel counterparts.

To lower weight and guarantee a fast response on the Opel Zafira ecoFlex Turbo, BorgWarner worked with Opel to optimize the water-cooled turbocharger. The engine delivers powerful performance, accelerating from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/hr) in 11.5 seconds.

BorgWarner also worked with Volkswagen … Read more

Opel launches five new LPG models in Germany

Opel now offers five liquefied petroleum gas powered Corsa, Meriva, Astra station wagon, and Zafira models with a wide performance range, expanding its line of environmentally-friendly EcoFlex models with alternative propulsion. The Opel LPG models can run on gasoline or LPG--the switch happens automatically, but can also be made by pressing a button. These models have both gasoline and LPG tanks. The LPG tank is located either in the spare-wheel well (Corsa, Meriva, Astra station wagon) or under the vehicle floor (Zafira), ensuring storage space and load volume remain unchanged. Instead of the spare wheel, a tire repair set is … Read more

No matter what, GM will maintain product ties to Opel

General Motors says it will maintain deep product-development ties with Adam Opel AG despite a plan to sell a stake in the German subsidiary.

On Friday, May 29, Magna International Inc. appeared poised to take a controlling interest in Opel. The Canadian supplier reached a tentative agreement with GM, sources told Reuters. Fiat has been Magna's main rival in the bidding.

Either way, GM will remain integrated with the German unit it has owned for 80 years.

"Any deal in Europe will include GM holding a significant stake in the new entity," said GM spokesman Chris Preuss. &… Read more

Opel Ampera uses GM Voltec power train

The third car with GM's Voltec series hybrid power train was announced at the Geneva auto show, the Opel Ampera. The two cars preceding it were the Chevrolet Volt and the Cadillac Converj. The Opel Ampera shares a platform with the Volt, and the cars are nearly identical. Where the Volt has horizontal slits at the front corners for headlights, the Ampera has big gouges going down from those headlight slits to the fog lamps, but the roofline is basically the same. The Opel badge, looking kind of like a lightning bolt, is probably more representative of the electric … Read more

SolarWorld serious about buying GM's Opel

SolarWorld's offer to General Motors is no joke. The German-based solar-power company is serious about wanting to purchase GM's Opel division, SolarWorld CEO Frank H. Asbeck said Thursday morning on German radio.

SolarWorld announced on Wednesday that it's in the process of making an offer to General Motors for its Adam Opel (aka Opel) division for about 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion).

The initial announcement sparked a flurry of market, analyst, and media skepticism on Wednesday. Asbeck took to the airwaves to clarify his company's position on Thursday. (A transcript of the interview in German … Read more

Flextreme design videos

If automotive design interests you, take a look at these videos documenting the development of the Opel Flextreme. We covered the Opel Flextreme concept car at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show. It's essentially the Chevy Volt for Europe, using the same series hybrid powertrain. The Flextreme is a bit bigger and, most notably, it has a couple of Segways stored in its rear. If you want to find out why, watch the videos.

Flextreme design Part 1 This video is mostly an interview with Mark Adams, vice president of design for GM Europe. He talks in general terms about … Read more