Opel Ampera Available through LeasePlan +VIDEO

RÜSSELSHEIM, GERMANY – October 14, 2011: Starting in November this year, the revolutionary electric Opel Ampera will be available to lease following a Europe-wide agreement between Opel and LeasePlan, one of Europe’s leading international leasing companies.

Customers will be able to lease Amperas through LeasePlan initially in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Next year, LeasePlan will purchase up to 650 Amperas. This will enable it to offer the Ampera as a lease vehicle for everyday use in 12 European countries.

Watch the Opel Ampera promo video

To support this joint effort in the promotion of electric mobility, Opel and LeasePlan are organizing a six-month European roadshow by coach beginning October. At various locations, visitors will be able to learn all about the technology, characteristics and everyday capabilities of the Ampera, as well as having opportunities to drive this revolutionary electric car.

The Ampera’s unique everyday usability means that it is an electric car that offers the same flexibility and convenience as normal internal combustion engine models. LeasePlan will therefore work closely with its customers to position the Ampera in company car policies and so offer drivers a no-compromise electric car alternative to their other car options.

"In contrast to other electric vehicles, the Ampera has a range of more than 500 kilometers and combines all of the capabilities our customers expect from a car for everyday, all-round use,” says Alain Visser, Opel Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. “The inclusion of the LeasePlan program is further proof of the fleet capability of our electric car." The development of a special service network is also planned. In addition, fleet customers will be able to address technical questions to contact points in the respective cooperation countries.

"The Ampera is an extremely attractive product for the fleet sector,” says Vahid Daemi, CEO of LeasePlan. “By including the Ampera as part of our product portfolio, we can now offer an innovative vehicle which takes account of environmental considerations while providing a driving range that fulfills all the requirements of our customers."

The Opel Ampera sits perfectly within LeasePlan’s strategy of promoting environmentally-friendly mobility. The company introduced its worldwide GreenPlan initiative as far back as 2007 to support LeasePlan customers in reducing the CO2 emissions of their vehicle fleets. In recognition of its environmentally oriented and sustainable initiative, the full-service leasing provider was the first international company in the fleet and vehicle management sector to receive official certification from TÜV Rheinland, a German technical agency based in Cologne that checks vehicles for roadworthiness.

Opel Ampera: Electric mobility suitable for everyday use

The Ampera is the first electric vehicle to have “go anywhere at any time” mobility. The five-door sedan offers space for four adults and their luggage and will be on the market at the end of the year. A 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack feeds the 111 kW/150 hp electric drive unit. Depending on driving style, terrain and temperature, it delivers between 40 and 80 km of pure electric operation with zero emissions. Independent research shows that this is perfectly sufficient to meet the daily needs of 80 percent of European drivers, who drive less than 60 km per day. Whenever the battery has reached its minimum state of charge, the gasoline engine automatically turns on and powers a generator to feed the electric drive unit. This extends driving range to over 500 km without the need to stop at a filling station. The Ampera’s weighted and combined consumption figure in line with Regulation (EC) 715/2007 is 1.2 liters on 100 kilometers and 27g/km CO2.