Opel to offer an eight-year warranty for the new Ampera

General Motors Co.'s Opel/Vauxhall unit will offer an eight-year warranty for the new Ampera plug-in electric car�s battery system. At the Geneva Motor Show, Opel CEO Nick Reilly said that the Ampera � the Chevrolet Volt�s sister model - will also be sold with Opel's "lifetime guarantee" in European countries that carry the warranty. Reilly said the company has received 3,000 pre-orders and 1,000 deposits from private buyers for the Ampera, which will be sold in in Europe in November 2011 for EUR42,900. Reilly added that fleet users and governments are also interested in the Ampera.

GM, with the battery warranty, seeks to allay fears in Europe on the durability of a new wave of mostly untested lithium-ion batteries. Opel will not sell the Ampera at a lower cost while leasing the Ampera's battery pack, a retail model that certain automakers will use to bring the sticker prices of their EVs in line with conventionally powered vehicles.

The Ampera - like the Volt - will be electricity-driven at all times. In the initial 40km to 80 km (25 to 50 miles), the drivetrain is powered by electricity stored in the 16-kilowatt hour lithium ion battery pack, resulting in the car achieving zero emissions. For longer trips, a gasoline-powered engine/generator supports battery charge and extends the driving range to 500km (300 miles). Opel says most Amperas are likely to run in battery mode nearly all the time since the battery can be recharged in about three hours from a standard electricity outlet. Research shows that about 80 percent of Europeans drive less than 60km a day. [via autonews]