Opel and Europcar to Offer Ampera as Rental Car

German auto brand Opel today announced it has partnered with Europcar to make the recently unveiled Ampera model available as a rental car throughout Europe by the end of 2011. Capitalizing on the Ampera's launch, the deal aims to deploy the first vehicles in Europcar rental outlets in Germany in November of this year, followed soon afterwards by Belgium and the Netherlands.

The Opel Ampera will then be rolled out throughout France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom from the beginning of 2012.

Rental customers will get introduced to Ampera’s functions that help the driver to operate the vehicle highly efficiently. On booking, they are advised to plan 10-15 minutes for the handover, as trained Europcar employees will explain a range of topics including battery charging, the range extender, and other special functions and features such as the energy consumption and energy efficiency displays.

In addition, customers will receive advice on energy-efficient driving in battery operation and how to recuperate energy when braking. Customers will also have the opportunity to give feedback through online chats and questionnaires.

We’ll remind you that the plug-in hybrid can travel some 500 kilometers on a full tank, the first 40 to 80 kilometers doable in electric mode alone. The Ampera also provides a total driving range of more than 500 kilometers thanks to its range-extending gasoline engine. Also, the Ampera is able to reach speeds of 161 km/h and accelerate from naught to sixty in around nine seconds.

"Electric cars are among the best long-term solutions to meet society's energy and environmental challenges. The fact that Europcar is going to introduce the Opel Ampera to its day-to-day business is further proof that our extended-range electric vehicle is completely suitable for everyday use – even as a fleet vehicle in the tough rental car business," said Opel/Vauxhall Vice President Sales, Marketing & Aftersales Europe, Alain Visser.