Opel News

Rsselsheim/Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. Opel, one of Europes largest car makers and Europcar, the leading car hire company in Europe, announced today that 30 Opel Amperas, the award-winning range extending electric car, are available to hire on short term contracts. Since early March, the Opel Ampera has been available for hire in Amsterdam (Netherlands), from now on in Frankfurt (Germany) and in Brussels (Belgium).
To support this effort in the promotion of electric mobility, Opel and Europcar plan a joint communications campaign in Germany with airport visibility, online and social media activities, and point of sale supports in all Europcar rental stations.
We are very happy to be able to provide our customers with the Opel Ampera and help facilitate the expansion of electric cars. Furthermore, with its unique battery pack and Range Extender, the Ampera is perfectly adapted to our short term rental market. This partnership illustrates once again our will to help our customers #consume in a better and cleaner way by giving them a choice, said Roland Keppler, Chief Executive Officer of the Europcar Group.
The Ampera has a range of more than 500 kilometers and combines all of the capabilities our customers expect from a car for everyday, all-round use, says Enno Fuchs, Opels e-mobility launch director. The Ampera won many international awards including the Car of the Year 2012 award. Not only has the Ampera gained praise from the media, it also appeals strongly to our customers and the inclusion of the Europcar rental program is a further proof of the strong fleet capability of our electric car.'
The Opel Ampera with extended range does not require the driver to change his driving style as it offers unlimited mobility, even for spontaneous journeys. Thanks to its 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack, Europcar customers will be able to enjoy between 40 and 80 km of pure electric drive with zero emissions. For longer stretches, a gasoline engine powers a generator that supplies the necessary electricity. This continuous energy supply makes distances of over 500 km possible, without having to charge en route for hours, , and relieves the driver of concerns about being stranded with a flat battery.
The scheme could be widened to other cities and to other countries in Europe in 2012.

About Adam Opel AG:
Opel, one of Europes largest automakers, was founded 1862 in Rsselsheim, Germany. The company with its headquarters in Rsselsheim and its sister brand in the U.K., Vauxhall, sells vehicles in over 40 countries. The company operates plants and development centers in seven European countries, and employs 40,000 people. (as of December 2011). In 2011, Opel sold over 1.2 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in Europe, achieving a market share of 6.1 percent. With the market introduction of the electric Opel Ampera, the company has founded a new segment in the European automotive market and underlines its role as a trendsetter for progressive mobility solutions.

About Europcar
Europcar is the leader in car rental services in Europe. Present in 140 countries, the company provides customers with access to the worlds largest vehicle rental network through its own operations, franchisees and partnerships. With 6,500 employees committed to delivering customer satisfaction and an average fleet of 190,000 vehicles, Europcar is conscious of its corporate citizenship responsibilities. Winner of the first World Travel Award recognizing the World's Leading Green Transport Solutions Company, Europcar also was honored with the Award in 2010 and 2011. Europcar is owned by Eurazeo.