Photo: Opel
There's a bit of bad news for European eco-friendly motorists. Two insiders familiar with Opel's future plans have revealed that the Ampera, which is basically the Euro-spec Chevy Volt, will be phased out next year, concomitantly with the launch of the second-generation of the Chevrolet Volt.
This info comes days after the 2015 Chevrolet Volt has been officially announced, boasting the same price as the outgoing model but a better 17.1 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack and more optional extras. According to a report published by Automotive News Europe, sales of the Opel Ampera have decreased by a whopping 40 percent last year to 3,184 units.
More regrettably, this year has been much worse to the German version of the Chevrolet Volt – the tree hugging model only managed to move a mere 332 cars from January to May, which is a commercial disaster by all means. Former General Motors vice chairman Steve Girsky has hinted back in 2013 that the slow-selling Opel Ampera might be axed over the bad reception the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle was met with in Europe, so the info provided by the aforementioned source is more than believable.
It's a little bit curious how a sharper styled Chevrolet Volt just didn't cut the mustard on the Old Continent. Except from a few aesthetic changes, this car boasts with the same specifications and creature comforts as the Chevrolet Volt, so how come the Europeans didn't like it as much as American drivers?
Although buyers of electric vehicles enjoy a broad number of financial benefits for choosing eco-friendly cars over traditional offerings, although the Opel Ampera's sticker price was cut by €7,600 ($10,278) last year in order to boost sales, it seems like the time to bid our farewells to the Opel Ampera is getting near.
More regrettably, this year has been much worse to the German version of the Chevrolet Volt – the tree hugging model only managed to move a mere 332 cars from January to May, which is a commercial disaster by all means. Former General Motors vice chairman Steve Girsky has hinted back in 2013 that the slow-selling Opel Ampera might be axed over the bad reception the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle was met with in Europe, so the info provided by the aforementioned source is more than believable.
It's a little bit curious how a sharper styled Chevrolet Volt just didn't cut the mustard on the Old Continent. Except from a few aesthetic changes, this car boasts with the same specifications and creature comforts as the Chevrolet Volt, so how come the Europeans didn't like it as much as American drivers?
Although buyers of electric vehicles enjoy a broad number of financial benefits for choosing eco-friendly cars over traditional offerings, although the Opel Ampera's sticker price was cut by €7,600 ($10,278) last year in order to boost sales, it seems like the time to bid our farewells to the Opel Ampera is getting near.
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