Hasta La Gadget!

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).