Deliveries of Opel's Ampera extended-range EV are to be delayed while the parent GM sorts out the issues raised by three battery fires after crash tests of the Volt US model which shares the technology, writes Brian Byrne.
The Ampera and Volt, pictured above, are both built in the same US plant, on the same underpinnings but different bodies.
Although Opel has begun to deliver Amperas to dealerships in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Holland, customers won't be getting the cars until the problem is fully assessed.
The Ampera is not yet on sale in Ireland. RHD versions are due in May.
GM plans to sell 10,000 units of the Ampera in Europe next year.
The Volt has been on sale in the US since last year. The perceived problem only relates to crash-tested cars, and is believed to be because the lithium-ion battery backs weren't fully discharged after the crash tests.
