GM's Opel to build next generation electric car in 2017

Reuters
General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra speaks during a keynote address at the 2016 CES trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada January 6, 2016. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

BOCHUM, Germany (Reuters) - General Motors Chief Executive Mary Barra on Thursday said the company's European division Opel would build an affordable five-seater electric car, the Ampera-e, in 2017. The car shares the same underpinnings as GM's other electric car, the Chevrolet Bolt. "Like its twin, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the Ampera-e promises to transform the electric vehicle market in Europe as the first EV that combines long range at an affordable price," Barra told an industry conference. Barra said the Ampera-e would offer a greater electric range than the vast majority of electric vehicles currently available in Europe, and offer room for five passengers and trunk space comparable to that of a compact car. General Motors said it would announce further details about Ampera-e’s range and price at a later date. Production is set to start in 2017. (Reporting by Andreas Cremer; Writing by Edward Taylor; Editing by Maria Sheahan)