Ampera and Volt voted "Car of the Year 2012"

Geneva (ots) - - Cross reference: Picture is avaiable at:
http://www.presseportal.de/pm/59486/2210477 -

The Opel Ampera and the Chevrolet Volt have today won the "Car of
the Year 2012" award. By handing victory to the revolutionary
electric vehicles, the panel of judges, made up of 59 leading
automotive journalists from 23 European nations, paid tribute to
General Motor's innovative foresight. The Opel Ampera / Chevrolet
Volt were the undisputed winners with 330 points against the VW Up
(281) and the Ford Focus (256).

For the first time in the history of the prize, the final
selection was made in the context of the Geneva international motor
show. The Opel/Vauxhall CEO, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, and Chevrolet's
President and Managing Director for Europe, Susan Docherty, were both
handed the "Car of the Year 2012" award by the President of the COTY
judging panel, Hakan Matson.

The Ampera and the Volt emerged as the joint overall winner in a
field of seven COTY finalists. Initially, 35 recently launched
vehicles entered the contest. The selection criteria applied by the
judges were based on attributes such as design, comfort, performance
and especially innovative technologies as well as efficiency - areas
where the Ampera and the Volt excel.

"It is a proud moment for us and an honor to receive this award
from Europe's leading jury of automotive journalists," said Susan
Docherty, President and Managing Director, Chevrolet Europe. "Our car
demonstrates that electric driving can be fun and reliable without
ever compromising the owners' lifestyle."

"We are extremely pleased that our revolutionary electric vehicle
has emerged as the winner in such a tough field of competitors. And
we are very proud of this accolade," says the Opel/Vauxhall CEO,
Karl-Friedrich Stracke. "This encourages us further to continue our
leadership role in the area of e-mobility."

The Volt and the Ampera have won many international awards
including the "World Green Car of the Year 2011" and the "North
American Car of the Year 2011" award. There have also been accolades
for safety like the maximum 5-star Euro NCAP award.

The Ampera and the Volt are the first electric vehicles in the
market 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 car 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.

Contact:
Volker Brien
+49 170 786 3795
Volker.Brien@de.opel.com

Marc Kempe
+41 79 201 5752
marc.kempe@gm.com