Opel

General Motors' Opel division is confident that its slate of diesel engines will allow it to meet stricter European emissions standards set for 2020. As for the even stricter ones expected in 2025? Not so much. Stop us if you've heard this before, but that's why Opel says it will consider adding ...

General Motors' Opel division is adding metaphorical fire to the real dispute over a new air-conditioning refrigerant's potential flammability. Opel recently ran crash tests with an SUV using a refrigerant, called HFO-1234yf, that is being pushed by the European Union as a way to cut greenhouse ...

General Motors Vice Chairman Steve Girsky has had it up to his eyeballs with Europe. It's one thing to attempt to bail out GM's Opel subsidiary in the beleaguered European auto market. It's another to market the Opel Ampera plug-in hybrid to such tepid response. "All the governments in Europe ...

Lost in translation, Vol. 2. An advertisement for the Chevrolet Volt's sister vehicle was banned in the UK for what an advertising watchdog group said was a misleading claim about the extended-range plug-in's driving range, UK's Daily Mail reports. The ad for the Vauxhall Ampera showed ...

For anyone who wants to drive from Paris to Budapest without that pesky problem of filling-up, Opel has got the car for you. General Motors' Opel division is offering its Insignia with an engine that can run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as well as petrol, Green Car Congress reports. The ...

We've done a triple-take with the Opel/Vauxhall Adam, and after two rounds of grainy spy shots, this third official look brings the car into crisp, clear focus. From the looks of these photos, we like it a bit more than we thought we did initially. Yes, it's got plenty of Audi A1 going on in that ...

Two weeks ago we brought you some of the worst spy shots ever, revealing the forthcoming Opel Adam minicar. Today we've got more. These are remarkably better – yet still low res – shots of Opel's long-gestating competitor to the Volkswagen Up! But hey, they're better than nothing, ...

Lost in translation? Opel, General Motors' European unit, says its Ampera – the better-looking sister vehicle to the Chevrolet Volt – is Europe's best-selling passenger electric vehicle, accounting for more than one in five EVs sold in the continent. Opel, citing May sales numbers, ...

Most gearheads know the Opel Ampera is the European near-twin of the Chevy Volt. There are obvious exterior differences, such as the Ampera's "boomerang" headlights and Opel badging, but inside, the only noticeable difference is another Opel badge on the steering wheel. Bradley Hasemeyer and the ...

The Chevrolet Volt's European sibling took home a checkered flag that might as well have been green instead of black and white. The Ampera extended-range plug-in hybrid vehicle won the this year's alt-fuel version of the Rally Monte Carlo on a combination of strong driving performance and ...

Think James Garner in "Grand Prix," only quieter. General Motors' Opel division is entering six Ampera extended-range plug-in vehicles in an alternative energy version of the Rally Monte Carlo this week, as the company looks to boost exposure for the European version of the Chevrolet Volt. The ...

Found in translation? Demand for the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid vehicle in the U.S. has been up and down over the car's first 16-odd months, but executives at General Motors' Opel division in Europe are saying that the Ampera, the Volt's European twin, is getting some good ...

The Chevrolet Volt may not be selling well, but it's one of the most lauded cars in history. Today the plug-in hybrid was named the 2012 European Car of the Year, an award it will share with its European fraternal twin, the Opel Ampera. The Volt won North American Car of the Year in 2011, while ...

Americans have our own ideas about what a police cruiser should be: big, fast, menacing. The kind of vehicle that you can't mistake pulling up behind you on the freeway, and with enough muscle to chase you down should your foot get a little heavier than it should. But overseas, police vehicles ...

Automotive News reports that, as suspected, Opel is delaying delivery of its Ampera extended-range hybrid to customers. The plug-in gas-electric hatchbacks have already arrived at dealers across Europe, but the automaker wants to ensure the vehicles' batteries are safe even in the event of an ...

The Opel Ampera may be very similar to the Chevy Volt under the skin, but a lot of people in the U.S. would argue that the Euro-plug-in's skin is far more attractive. Apparently a lot of Europeans agree. First year production for the Ampera had been targeted for 8,000 units, but high demand has ...

General Motors' German arm, Opel, wants to be the "market leader in electric mobility," according to the automaker's head of sales and marketing, Alain Visser. That's one task that's easier said than done, for sure. Still, with the plug-in Ampera scheduled to launch next month, Opel says it's ...

Soon after unveiling the Opel RAK e concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, General Motors of Europe president Nick Reilly revealed to Autocar that the RAK e is a "very serious concept," adding that Opel is currently investigating production feasibility and believes the two-seat electric could ...

Spiegel Online set the rumormill ablaze with an unconfirmed report that General Motors is seeking some sort of cooperative deal with German automaker BMW. Speigel says The General's interest in BMW is primarily related to the German firm's gasoline and diesel engine technology. Beyond that, ...

Before we delve into the details of the RAK e electric concept, let's step back in time with a brief historical primer. The oldest industrial division within General Motors' current portfolio, Opel, started as a sewing machine manufacturer way back in 1862. Evolving to the production of bicycles ...