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Opel Halts Orders Of Ampera-e Amid Surging Demand

The Chevrolet Bolt EV continues to set new sales records each month in the United States, and the electric car is now available nationwide, but in Europe, the Bolt EV’s Ampera-e cousin is so popular that Opel has ceased new orders.

Norwegian publication Tek.no reports Opel will not take any new orders for the Opel Ampera-e after demand surged past the electric car’s estimated production. “For those who can book a car now, we will talk about delivery no earlier than 2019,” said Opel Norway’s information manager, Stein Pettersen.

According to Pettersen, less than 1,000 Ampera-e electric cars have been delivered in Norway and another 4,000 remain on order. Customers who already placed an order will not see delivery dates changed, but dealers will impose wait lists with a tentative 2019 delivery date.

Norway is a friendly market for electric vehicles after the government enacted generous benefits for drivers. These include free charging, access to bus lanes and fewer taxes on the car itself.

The situation is likely more chaotic thanks to Opel’s new owner, PSA Groupe, dealing with General Motors over production allocations. All Bolt EVs, and the Ampera-e, are built at GM’s Orion assembly plant in Michigan.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. is the Ampera imported to Germany or do Opel have the production rights to produce them? If so do this also give their new owner the right to produce them? If this is so it seem hat GM gave away way too much for what it got for the sell of Opel.

    Reply
    1. I believe all Amperas are built on the same line as Bolt here in the US.

      Reply
      1. Hope you are right. GM does not need to be giving away any technology to the competition especially if they are going to give it to them at a bargain basement price while charging their customers premium prices for the products. Ok didn’t finish reading complete artical It says at the end all Bolts ans Ampreas are produced here in the US.

        Reply
      2. Correct.

        And that this factory paused production in summer created a big scandal in Europe because lots of people had ordered the Ampera-e but Opel did not get the quota allotted to them. Opel/Vauxhall could not fulfill those orders. Not only customers, but also Opel dealers became quite angry.

        Reply
  2. Opel is not own by gm anymore so how would they sale there car’s to them? Also gm has two new all electric cars coming up in these next eighteen mouths.

    Reply
    1. … because Opel is producing cars for GM and GM subsidiaries:

      • Buick Regal and Cascada for North America
      • Holden Commodore and Astra for Australia (and New Zealand?)

      Also, about half of the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka (aka Buick Encore) are manufactured by GM Korea, and all of Opel Karl/Vauxhall Viva,.

      The umbilical cord linking Opel to GM is not cut, and wont be for a long time.

      Reply
  3. All Amperas are indeed produced in the USA, with Opel badging for mainland EU markets. There is a supply arrangement with PSA to make it available for mainland EU markets for the remainder of the car’s model life.

    Demand in the UK and EU for electric cars seems to be going through the roof. Whilst the Ampera is not available in what was then GM’s largest European market, I looked at possibly purchasing a Hyundai Ioniq in May and was told it was unlikely one would be available before the end of 2017. Several weeks later a colleague inquired, only to be given a January 2018 delivery date.

    When GM return to Europe, hopefully the Bolt or its successor will be at the heart of its range.

    Reply
  4. Hey, at least its still made right here in the good ol’ US of A. Can you say jobs, jobs, jobs?

    Reply
  5. This suggest that General Motors should open up a dealership in Norway and start the paper work to begin shipping out the Chevrolet Volt and Bolt.

    Reply
  6. PSA is these one’s who stop production on these ampere, not gm. Because psa has it’s own electric’s coming down these line.

    Reply
  7. Looks like now is a good time to put one of those under used Factory’s to use makeing Bolts.

    Reply
  8. I don’t understand how GM/Opel could have misjudged the European market for the Bolt. That is not a good thing to get the European electric car market mad at GM especially when GM plans to release many more electric cars in the future. Get your European act together GM or you’re going to miss out on a lot of future sales.

    Reply

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