- Four Ampera electric vehicles among the top 10 in rally for alternative propulsion
- French team Darniche/Lambert successful against some 130 competitors
- Debuting Ampera succeed in durability and fuel consumption tests
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| Opel Ampera won Rally Monte Carlo for alternative propulsion |
After winning the “Car of the Year 2012” award,
the Opel Ampera has now also won the 13. International Monte Carlo
Rally for electric cars and alternative propulsion in which it competed
for the first time. Four Ampera ranked among the top 10 vehicles. The
French duo Bernard Darniche and Joseph Lambert managed to beat the
entire competitive field. On Sunday, the final day of the contest, the
revolutionary electric vehicle reached the finish line in the capital of
the Côte d’Azur principality. Some 130 competitors from about 30
manufacturers took part, among them seven Ampera, including one private
Ampera team. The other contenders included a Renault Fluence Z.E., a
Tesla Roadster sports car, a Mitsubishi I-MiEV and a Peugeot Ion. Apart
from the overall victory, the Ampera teams with Charlotte Berton and
Olivier Sussot ranked third, Jean-Claude Andruet and Patrick Lienne came
in 7th and Hanns Werner Wirth and Daniel Riesen finished 8th, completing the fantastic result.
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| Opel Ampera on Rally Monte Carlo - German Team |
“The Ampera’s success in this versatility contest under very
challenging conditions proves its impressive balance between durability
and fuel efficiency. This underscores our leadership role in the field
of alternative propulsion,” says Opel’s Director E-mobility, Enno Fuchs.
The “Rallye Monte-Carlo Des Énergies Nouvelles” took place for the 13th
time and has established itself as the oldest motorsport event for
vehicles with alternative propulsion. The Monte Carlo Automobile Club
has organized the competition since 1995.
Endurance test for alternative propulsion
The rally started in the three towns of Annecy-le-Vieux, Clermont
Ferrand and Lugano for 550 kilometers via Digne-les-Bains, the capital
of the French district (département) Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to Monaco.
On the second day, the teams had to complete a distance of 272
kilometers, leading them through Monaco and the original route of the
Monte Carlo Rally through the French Maritime Alps. In these two days
the teams were subjected to regularity tests and had to prove their
driving skills by pushing their vehicles to the limit.
Apart from the regularity tests, the focus lay with fuel consumption. With the help of a ratio derived from vehicle weight, CO2 emissions,
the energy density of the fuel and its consumption, the organizers were
able to calculate a comparison value and draw up an overall ranking.
“The sophisticated technology of the Ampera was always reliable and
enabled our tremendous success,” says the French rally co-pilot, Joseph
Lambert who celebrated the victory with driver Bernhard Darniche.
Darniche already won the legendary Monte Carlo Rally in 1979 and has
more than 10 times been successful in winning the special stage over the
famous Col de Turini.
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| Opel Ampera on Rally Monte Carlo - French Team |
The Opel Ampera is the first electric vehicle that can go anywhere
anytime. A 16 kWh lithium ion battery powers the 111kW/150 hp electric
motor. Depending on the style of driving and road conditions, distance
of between 40 and 80 kilometers can be covered in the purely
battery-operated mode, completely free of emissions. The wheels of the
Ampera are always powered electrically. In extended-range mode, which
activates whenever the battery has reached its minimum state of charge,
the gasoline engine drives a generator that supplies the electric drive
unit. The range extender enables an operating radius of 500 kilometers.
On the road, the Ampera’s electric propulsion system provides instant
torque of 370 Nm enabling zero to 100 km/h acceleration in around nine
seconds and a top speed of 161 km/h.
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| Opel Ampera on Rally Monte Carlo - German Team |
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