Opel, one of Europe’s largest car makers and Europcar, the leading car rental company in Europe, announced that 30 Opel Ampera, the award-winning range extended electric car, are available to hire on short term rental.

The Opel Ampera has been available for rent since early March in Amsterdam (Netherlands), and is now available in Frankfurt (Germany) and in Brussels (Belgium).

To support this joint effort in the promotion of electric mobility, Opel and Europcar plan a joint communication campaign in Germany with visibility in airports, online, utilising social media, and point of sale supports in all Europcar rental stations.

“We are very happy to be able to provide our customers with the Opel Ampera and help facilitate the expansion of electric cars. Furthermore, with its unique battery pack and Range Extender, the Ampera is perfectly adapted to our short term rental market. This partnership illustrates once again our range of vehicle help customers make better and cleaner environmental choices” said Roland Keppler, Chief Executive Officer of Europcar Groupe.

“The Ampera has a range of more than 500 kilometres and combines all of the capabilities our customers expect from a car for everyday, all-round use,” says Enno Fuchs, Opel’s e-mobility launch director. “The Ampera won many international awards including the Car of the Year 2012 award. Not only has the Ampera gained praise from the media, it also appeals strongly to our customers and the inclusion of the Europcar rental program is a further proof of the strong fleet capability of our electric car.”

The Opel Ampera with extended range requires no changes to driving habits and offers limitless mobility, even for spontaneous journeys. Thanks to its unique 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack, Europcar customers will be able to enjoy between 40 and 80 km of pure electric drive with zero emissions. For longer stretches, a gasoline engine powers a generator that supplies the necessary electricity. This continuous energy supply makes distances of over 500 km possible, without stopping to charge for hours, and alleviates driver concerns of being stranded with a flat battery.

The scheme could be widened to other cities and to other countries in Europe in 2012.