LeasePlan, Opel sign agreement on electric vehicles

Opel Ampera, the electric car badge of the German subsidiary of GM, will be available for leasing from November throughout Europe thanks to an agreement between Opel and LeasePlan, one of Europe’s leading companies in car rental.

Initially, the Ampera electric car will be available for leasing in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. By 2012, LeasePlan will acquire up to 650 Ampera electric cars for everyday use in 12 European countries such as electric cars for everyday use.

The first production of electric car Ampera come to Spain in early March, mainly for the fleet market for operations through leasing companies. Being an electric car that offers the same flexibility that models with combustion engine, the Ampera electric car will be positioned by LeasePlan to their customers within the company car policies. The goal: to offer drivers an alternative electric car without compromises in relation to other car options.

For Alain Visser, director of sales, marketing and after sales of Opel, "unlike other electric vehicles, the Ampera has a range of over 500 kilometers and combines all the possibilities that our customers expect from a car for everyday use and versatile." Vahid Daemi, LeasePlan’s Chief Executive Officer, said that by including the Ampera as part of its product range, "we can offer an innovative electric vehicle that takes into account environmental considerations."

The Opel Ampera fits within LeasePlan’s strategy of promoting mobility friendly environment. The company introduced already in 2007 its "GreenPlan" to support LeasePlan customers to reduce CO2 emissions of their fleets of vehicles.

Electric vehicles with lithium batteries do not emit CO2 or damage the environment if the electricity comes from renewable energy sources like wind energy, solar energy photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal power. Wind turbines may supply electricity to the electric vehicles in the future and will also serve to store and regulate the electricity intermittent from wind power.

By José Santamarta, www.opel-ampera.com/