Opel was quick to deny a recent report saying the Ampera plug-in hybrid will be discontinued once the second-generation Chevrolet Volt launches in the second half of 2015 as a 2016 model.
The German firm said it is working on a successor model to the battery-powered Ampera which is just a rebadged Chevrolet Volt, Reuters reported.
“We will definitely introduce a successor product in the electric vehicle segment and continue to defend our position as an innovation leader,” the German automaker said in a statement on Wednesday. Opel added that the Ampera’s successor will launch between 2014 and 2018, but declined giving further details.
“We see electric mobility as an important part of mobility and we will continue to drive down costs and deliver affordability,” the statement added.
Launched in 2011, the Ampera saw slow sales, with only 3,184 units sold last year, 40 percent less than in 2012. Sales have continued to fall dramatically this year, with just 332 Ampera models sold in the first five months, down 67 percent compared to the same period in 2013.
The Opel Ampera (sold as the Vauxhall Ampera in the UK) is currently priced from €38,620 ($52,017) in Germany. The car has a combined driving range (electric and gasoline) of more than 500 km (310 miles).
By Dan Mihalascu
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