Our blogs are now being re-launched together under one roof, the „Opel Blog“. Electric mobility experts and colleagues working on completely different projects will make their contributions here in the future, as will board members with posts and podcasts. The Ampera bloggers are virtually founding members of this new big Opel blog family. Posts are in German, but they can be quickly and easily translated with the help of Google translate.

The Ampera blog can still be accessed for information. Anyone looking for news in English will find the latest posts on Facebook or on Energy Hub. A complete list of Opel’s social media links can be found on the Opel Blog.

2,600 test drives in six months and ten countries – the Ampera was the center of attention wherever it went during its tour across Europe. The “groupies” were businesspeople, fleet managers and executives – all important target groups for us, as we expect that the majority of our electric vehicles will be sold to companies and public authorities.

Be it in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy, Portugal, Spain or Germany, the tour bus in Ampera design was the highlight of workshops and presentations – which were of course followed by test drives.

Example Fraport AG: Right now there are 3,000 vehicles used at and around the Frankfurt Airport, and ten percent of them are electric. The airport operator has clearly stated its goal to reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. The Ampera is a perfect fit for this. The Fraport AG wants to expand its vehicle fleet with a number of electric vehicles with range extender in the fall of 2012.

The case with the Schaeffler Group in Herzogenaurach is similar. That’s why around 60 employees are taking the opportunity during the roadshow to drive or be driven in one of the three Amperas. Asked to evaluate their experience, they come to a clear conclusion: the drivers gave the Ampera a very positive rating for its overall performance and the impression it made on them.

And there is still a lot to look forward to in Europe. Now the Ampera is heading to Spain, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Scandinavia and Greece. Within nine months, fleet customers in a total of 24 European countries will be able to have the pleasure of experiencing electric driving.

Do good and talk about it – gladly, especially when it’s about the mobile rescue data sheets. After all, in November 2010 Opel was the first carmaker to offer this type of service for smartphones free of charge.

Development has been continuous: from zero to 60 at the beginning in 2010. Now there is data for 70 models, including for the Ampera electric car and the HydroGen4 fuel-cell vehicle. And for the “Car of the Year 2012, there are additional service numbers in 40 European countries available, ensuring complete technical assistance in the event of an emergency.

The rescue data sheets are still exclusive, but we are hoping for a lot of copycats. The current 1,680 data sheets in 24 languages give rescue crews life-saving information about the location of airbag inflators, body reinforcements, fuel lines, the tank and battery. This is without a doubt a huge plus for the around 40,000 professional rescuers and 1.3 million volunteers in Germany. After all, these vehicle components don’t always get along with rescue-service cutters, spreaders and hydraulic legs.

All data for the listed Opel models from 1991 to present are available online at http://www.opel-rescuecard.com. The new Astra GTC, the Corsa LPG, the passenger car variant of the new Combo and the new Zafira Tourer are on this list for the first time. Over http://www.ifz-berlin.de the Opel rescue data sheets can be downloaded and printed out. So far there have been 220,000 hits since the introduction of the service. The number speaks for itself and shows that we are keeping pace with the trends in mobile communication.

But there’s more. Our goal in the task force „Rescuing people from cars in accidents” comprising the VDA and VDIK, fire department, ADAC and Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) is to offer all involved rescue personnel uniform information across manufacturer lines. I represent us here and we currently hold the chair of this committee. An important step is the law that is to go into effect in May. This would enable rescue crews central access to the rescue data sheets of all manufacturers over a DAT server by submitting an online license-number query to the KBA. There the German license number is attributed to the registered vehicle type, thus enabling the exact automatic selection of the rescue data sheet.

A lot of people already noticed that we updated the Ampera Facebook profile to the new timeline. What are the advantages? In addition to the practical filters and the clear chronological overview, the contents can now be more easily identified as company or fan posts. And individual entries are given more importance as key news posts are shown across the entire timeline.

The free-diver from the Ampera commercial is the new visual element on the Facebook page. The eye-catching motif takes over the role of the welcome page and optically presents the key message from the commercial – going beyond boundaries and taking over a pioneering role. The new fan page has the motto “Dive into the world of Ampera”. One quickly sees that in spite of its young age, the Ampera is very grown up and already has a lot to say. Dive right in at http://www.facebook.com/OpelAmpera!

The Ampera made it to the winner‘s podium the first time it took part in the Rallye Monte Carlo for vehicles with alternative propulsion, beating out competition from over 30 manufacturers. First place went to the French duo Bernard Darniche and Joseph Lambert, while Charlotte Berton and Olivier Sussot came in third. Two other Ampera teams finished in the top 10: Jean-Claude Andruet and Patrick Lienne came in seventh, and Hanns-Werner Wirth and Daniel Riesen eighth.

130 vehicles took part in the race, including six Amperas supported by Opel and one private team. In addition to navigating through challenging terrain, the goal was to drive the Ampera as efficiently as possible during the regularity rallye sections. Using a quotient from vehicle weight, CO₂ emissions, fuel energy density and consumption, the exhibitors calculated comparable values and thereby overall standings.

We are really proud of this debut, congratulations to everyone!

Hi everyone!

My name is Alex. Here on the blog I want to tell you about my impressions, and over there on Facebook and Twitter you’re a bit more involved instead of just … you know what I mean. There I will be reporting to you about the stages until Sunday as best I can from the track.

Things were going at full power from the start. Into the hotel – a brief look out the window and immediately I discovered the Ampera I’ll be driving tomorrow from Annecy-le-Vieux to Monaco. For the moment, however, I’m not allowed to go near it – I was immediately instructed to go over and get into the car of Hanns-Werner Wirth and Daniel Riesen. And off we went on a quick photo tour.

Nervous? Me? Sitting in the car of the three-times winner of the classic Eifel Rallye, who has to drive for positions tomorrow? Not in the slightest But I did get jittery for the first few meters. Especially as the distance measurement unit was presumably already calibrated.

Thorsten, our photographer, handed me a radio, asking me “Did you ever do car-to car-photos?” My somewhat non-committal “Eeehm, ah, well, yeah” presumably conveyed adequately how uncertain I was about whether my little photo tours up to now would be sufficient to meet his requirements. “Just do what I tell you over the radio, it’ll be fine.”

RAPPEL!

Anyone who has ever travelled in France will be familiar with the signs. “RAPPEL!” it says, on a red triangular sign at the side of the road with an exclamation mark at the centre. What it actually means is: “We’ve built in a small surprise for all those people who used to enjoy watching ‘The Fall Guy’.” Ski jumps, to be precise. What we call traffic calming ramps in the 30-kilometer zones back home, are here launching platforms made to blend in with the Alpine landscape. Good that Thorsten had warned me. Drive too fast over one of those, and the front apron gets into a real scrape.

So off we went up the Col Buffon. Unfortunately we didn’t make it quite all the way to the summit. Far enough, however, to make our ears pop from the altitude. Thorsten jumped into a ditch and got some shots of the car driving. Before we knew it, 1 ½ hours had passed, and we drove back to the car park. The car had to go for inspection.

I took that opportunity to talk to Hanns-Werner Wirth, who explained a few things to me about the regularity rallye. “From the very start we drive off fast in order to get up to the average which we then have to maintain.” Average here means the speed average. Which in this rallye may not exceed 49.5 km/h – otherwise the course would have to be closed off to normal traffic.

Every 100 meters the average is re-calculated and the driver – in this case Hanns-Werner – has to develop a feel for how much faster he will have to go before a curve, in order to driver more slowly through the curve and then get back up to the average as fast as possible. The drivers don’t know, of course, when and where the average is measured and evaluated on the course.

What does rallye-ready mean?

You’d asked this question here on the blog. The car is a normal serial car. No racing tires, performance enhancement or anything like that. Tomorrow it is not about speed. Rather, a company, which otherwise also builds cars for the really fast WRC and IRC rallies, has equipped the car with diverse features. Rapid-action jack, battery powered screwdrivers for a quick tire change – all safely stowed away of course. And the BluNik distance measurement unit was installed by the guys, as the technician Jean-Nicolas explained.

He also explained all of the things that happen at the technical inspection: The driver and car data are recorded. CO2 value, weight and dimensions are all checked. They also make sure that everything is in accordance with the regulations and carry out a mini car test. Lights, indicators and horn are checked. Some of the vehicles then went directly to the Parc fermé – our number 27 was allowed to park alongside them for photos.

I guess that the organizer will fill the car again before the start and then the tank will be sealed. Topping up is forbidden, as is recharging the batteries. That is to say, you can do it to avoid being left stranded, but it costs penalty time.

This is why some of the purely electric cars will not be appearing on the long 500 kilometer stage. If I understand correctly, the only fully electric range-extender cars driving tomorrow are the various Ampera and a Fisker Karma. If you happen to see a Fisker Karma standing around, take a look at the buttons on the steering wheel. They ought to look familiar. Especially if you are standing right beside an Ampera and can check.

From the Geneva Motor Show to the rallye track: the new “Car of the Year” is taking part in the international Rallye Monte Carlo for vehicles with alternative propulsion systems for the first time. Three teams from Belgium, France, Switzerland, Slovenia and Germany are competing in the “énergies nouvelles” category from March 22-25.
The goal is to cover a predetermined distance at a speed that remains as consistent as possible and with minimal fuel consumption.

The German team has no less than the four-time Monte winner Christian Geistdörfer on board to reach this goal. He knows the rallye world inside out. After all, he won the world championships in 1982 in an Opel Ascona 400 sitting next to the “living legend” Walter Röhrl. Axel Kahl will report live from the cockpit during the competition. The established blogger will keep us posted with updates. And the fan community can stay up to speed on Facebook and Twitter.

Our blogger Jens Stratmann was in Geneva to speak to Richard Shaw, Chief Designer Advanced Design. And, of course, the conversation centered mainly on his particular field of expertise.

Richard, you are involved not only in shaping your own future, but that of many others as well. How did you actually become a designer?

I always had a passion for cars. When I left school, I actually wanted to be a pilot. I dreamed of flying high-speed planes. Then I saw that there was a design college, so I became a designer and was bitten by the bug.

It is well known that designers can see into the future; where is your crystal ball?

That’s in Rüsselsheim, although these days the crystal ball works by electronics. You have to realize that several years pass before an idea hits the road. We are constantly trying to respond as quickly as possible to the current spirit of the times, so you also have to keep an eye on the future. You always need to have new technologies at the back of your head. The bulk of the work involves research. Then you look at materials, further developments etc.

Designer at Opel, what’s that like? Does one person have to do everything, or is each one assigned a particular task?

That varies widely. We try to give each designer the chance of doing something different. Otherwise we are working together on projects and each person has a particular area to deal with. Working with concept vehicles is different to working on cars which are shortly before serial production. It is important when you are designing products that you always have the overall concept in the back of your mind. The car is one of the few products which can or must be designed from the outside and the inside.

With cars you have the problem that it’s not only about the look but also about the functionality. Then the laws and regulations also have to be taken into consideration. What are the various things you have to take into account for the design of a bumper for example?

That is correct. There are various radius angles that have to be maintained. You also have to take account of, for example, the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection of the number plate, and if lights also have to be installed, it just goes on and on. We work in a team hand in hand with the engineers, and coordinate our efforts directly with them. With cars it’s not only about the appearance, but also the ergonomics and, of course, the tactile experience.

“A car like the RAK e has to arouse emotions”

Apropos experience: we first met at the presentation of the RAK e, that was a very special experience for me, and I have to say that I fell in love with the study at the time.

Then we achieved our goal. A car like that has to arouse emotions. We actually do talk about “love at first sight”. Sometimes you see something and you like it, but you don’t yet know why. So you start to question your own first thoughts.

Yes that’s true. Often you can be distracted again by your own rational thoughts. How often does it happen that a designer falls in love with his own project?

That’s difficult. We designers can never stop; we always want to keep going. That’s why we have to have a specific end in sight. But when you see the end product on the road for the first time, then you do really feel proud.

You are also very proud of the RAD e, at the presentation today I could see that radiating from your eyes. I can imagine that in the course of the design process you can see your “baby” developing and after serial production it has learned to walk. How do you see that?

Yes, that’s exactly how it is! It really is a passion. We are not only designers for the career, but actually live our fascination. You start off with a blank sheet of paper and then the creative process begins. It really is a bit like giving birth and cutting the umbilical cord.

Function meets design

Let’s stick with the RAD e: there you used design elements from the Opel family in the frame.

Correct, inspired by the headlamps. With the RAD e we wanted to give the product a certain DNA, first of all from the Opel family in general and from the Opel Ampera and the RAK e in particular. We took the stylistic element of the boomerang headlamps and reproduced it in the frame.

The frame of the RAD e is of similar material to that used in the Opel motorcycle Motoclub 500 from 1928. Why did you decide to use pressed steel rather than carbon?

At the time, automotive thinking was transferred to the motorcycle, today we want to transfer it to the bicycle. We could, of course, have used carbon, but carbon is very cost-intensive and not necessarily the most environmentally friendly material.

If the RAD e is launched on the market it will have a 250-Watt electric motor. At the moment it’s all still very futuristic, both in terms of the optics and the technology. You are presenting the RAD e here in Geneva on a FlexFix bicycle carrier, which was adapted to suit the bicycle and now has a cable to charge up the e-bike. How much design went into this charger cable?

Alongside the functionality we are also very focused on the design. I’m sure you are the same. Imagine you have a choice of three similar products. Leaving aside the rational aspects, which one are you most likely to choose?

Probably the one that appeals to me most on the emotional level…

Exactly! That’s the reason why we often spend days teasing out tiny details. We want to arouse emotions, always keeping our eye on the overall concept. What I mean is, if the charging plug looks out of place, then this is a flaw.

Did you also take ergonomics into consideration in the design of the RAD e? As one of the first bicycle manufacturers ever, Opel ought to have the necessary expertise.

Yes, in the study we assumed a cyclist of 1.8 meters tall. If the Pedelec goes into serial production, we still have some leeway upwards or downwards

The best projects are, of course, always the latest ones. Your ideas went into the RAK e and the RAD e, but what other vehicles have you left your mark on?

I was very proud at the time, for example of the first Tigra. This was, after all, the first small coupé and, of course, I also have positive memories of the Calibra, a car which still appeals to people today.

Richard Shaw then explained to me that a good product can only be achieved by good collaboration. Close collaboration between the engineers and the designers is particularly important. Even though they tend to have something of a love-hate relationship, both sides have just one goal: achieving the best result. Is there a better way to end this blog post? I don’t think so. I thank Richard for giving us a small insight into the world of design.

It is now official: our electric car has won the most important and prestigious title awarded in the automotive industry. Ampera and “Car of the Year 2012” are now one and the same. 59 journalists from 23 European countries gave the “Car of the Year” 330 points – 49 more than the runner-up VW Up. Third place went to the new Ford Focus. A total of 35 vehicles were initial candidates, and seven made it into the final round.

The award was announced at the Geneva Motor Show for the first time. Our CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke and Susan Docherty, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe accepted the trophy for the Opel/Vauxhall Ampera and the Chevrolet Volt from jury president Hakan Matson. “Proud” was one of the most prominent words in the acceptance speeches.

Uwe Winter was the journalists’ contact person in the last weeks. The Vehicle Line Director Ampera & Chief Engineer Electrical Vehicles is “absolutely thrilled. This is a great reward for the team that put everything they have into achieving this success. We couldn’t wait to see if we were able to convince the jury with our car and the idea behind it. The jury praised our courage and innovative spirit. We also see this award as encouragement. Behind the COTY logo I see the words Keep It Up.”

The Opel Social Media Team is in the starting blocks for Geneva. We also have a blogger, Jens Stratmann, who will be reporting from the 82nd Motor Show for us. He’ll have his own tab on our facebook page and will also post a guest commentary here on the blog. In his role as reporter, he’ll focus on our premiere models Astra OPC, Mokka and RAD e. If anyone has special requests beyond this coverage, they can let Jens know over facebook. He’ll then try to get and post the requested information or photos. You can stay up to date on our impressions of the Geneva Motor Show on Twitter, Google+ and YouTube. Enjoy!