Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann Hints At All-New EV
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Automotive News Europe’s sources revealed Opel is planning on axing the slow-selling Ampera extended-range EV upon the introduction of the next-generation Chevrolet Volt, which is expected to arrive during the second quarter of 2015. Ampera sales were strong in its 2012 launch year, but quickly tapered off by 40 percent in 2013 and have plunged another 67 percent this year, dwindling to just 332 cars through to May.
The Ampera may be on its way out, but hybrid and electric vehicles definitely aren’t going anywhere. Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann acknowledged this in a recent Tweet announcing the automaker’s future electric vehicle plans.
“After the eventual run-out of the current generation Ampera, we’ll introduce a successor product in the electric vehicle segment,” Neumann wrote. “Our next electric vehicle will be part of our massive product offensive – with 27 new vehicles in the 2014-2018 time frame. We see eMobility as important part of the mobility of tomorrow and we will continue to drive down costs & deliver affordability.”
Autoblog believes the EV Neumann is talking about won’t be a rebadged version of the Chevrolet Spark EV, but an entirely new product altogether. This means Neumann’s Tweet is the first we’ve heard of the all-new product from Opel, which should also arrive in North America, possibly wearing a Chevrolet or Buick badge.
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Hope its an electric suv or truck
I figured Buick would’ve gotten a compact-midsize Voltec CUV by now, or at least announced by now.
Buick has a classic name already for it: The Buick Electra.