General Motors is extending its extended-range electric car line across the Atlantic Ocean with the planned introduction of the Opel Ampera at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Opel is GM's European subsidiary and and the Ampera shares the same drivetrain as the Chevrolet Volt as well as with the Cadillac Converj (see Electric Cars Take Center Stage at Detroit Auto Show) that was introduced at Detroit's North American International Auto Show this month. The five-door, four-seat Ampera will run for up to 60 km (36 miles) on electric power and then switch to an internal combustion engine for as long as the gas tank or your bladder holds out. The lithium ion batteries will charge on 230-volt electric power; in the U.S. there are options for 120 volt charging (slow but 120 VAC is probably already in your garage) or 230 volts (only in the garage if you've got an electric dryer).

Accoding to GM, 80% of Germans drive no more than 50 kilometers a day, which means virtually all their driving, other than going on holiday, would be powered by the electric outlet. Alain Visser, GM Europe's chief marketing officer, said, "With the Ampera, Opel will be the first European automobile manufacturer to provide customers several hundred kilometers of non-stop electric driving." The unveiling date is March 3 when Opel will make other details available, such as, "When does it ship?" The Chevrolet Volt is due to arrive late in 2010 and Cadillac Converj sometime after that, perhaps 2011.