One euro to rule them all, One euro to find them, One euro to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
Posted on 09/12/2011 7:55:28 AM PDT by Red Badger
Opel will take the wraps off its battery-powered electric car, which it refers to as the One Euro, at this week’s Frankfurt Car Show. The little two-seater will get much attention for its looks, its clean-environment support, and its One Euro promotional tag. Opel's overall message is that it has the concept of a car that in production would be an affordable, great-looking electric vehicle for tight budgets.
"One Euro” refers to Opel’s claim that the car can cover 100 kilometers (62 miles) for one euro ($1.41). The car has a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 75 mph. Other features include lightness; this city vehicle is one-third the weight of a modern small car, says Opel. Euro One is also promoted as quite the energy-efficient vehicle, as energy requirements would be ten times lower than those of a modern small car.
Opel's press statement, which notes the "tandem two-seater has production potential," suggests that the company is banking on the car as a way to promote the company's strengths in electric cars. "The concept opens a new chapter in electric mobility and extends Opel’s pioneering role in alternative propulsion systems." The car's interesting design features tandem seats of one behind the other. Overall, it is a futuristic design that will appeal to drivers who are young or just young at heart. Opel says the concept’s look is inspired by the Opel Ampera, an electric hybrid car.
While the design may appeal to drivers of all ages, Opel stated that the car was created mainly for young drivers looking for something affordable and stylish. Opel is also talking about a low-speed version for 16-year olds, who would drive with a restricted maximum speed of 28 mph.
More details about the Opel car are expected during the Frankfurt Motor Show, to run from September 15 to 25. Placing the Opel announcement in perspective, the Euro One will take its place among a growing breed of micro cars designed for efficiency in cities. Making headway in electric cars would be beneficial for Opel, which has experienced losses. Earlier in June there were reports that its owner, General Motors, was thinking about selling Opel but the stories were dismissed.
Germany-based Opel is a well known brand in Europe, but it is not yet clear if this concept car would make it to the U.S. According to a June report in TheDetroitBureau.com, titled "Will Opel Return to the U.S.?" a senior executive with the General Motors subsidiary said that he saw an opportunity to sell Opel’s fuel-efficient small cars to increasingly mileage-sensitive American motorists.
One euro to rule them all, One euro to find them, One euro to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
Just raced my 1970 Opel GT this weekend! Nice to see where GMs better engineering comes from.
Anyway, now the union can be secure!
Just raced my 1970 Opel GT this weekend! Nice to see where GMs better engineering comes from.
Unsafe in most American commutes.
“The car has a range of 60 miles and a top speed of 75 mph.”
Hmmmmmmmmmmmph....and it sounds like that’s the HIGH point of the car. It sure looks like a futureistic toilet on wheels, though. Probably no chance of getting hurt in one of those babies if you got in an accident...you know, if you were going down hill and moving fast enough to lose control of it. Or drafting behind a bicyclist...
28 MPH will get you killed in Texas.
It’s not a car, it’s a quadricycle.
The main difference is that a quadricycle has the same crash-proofing requirements as a paper-bag filled with blood-oranges.
As long as that is understood, this is a cool vehicle. Loads of people might have a use for an electric quadricycle, especially a futuristic-looking one.
I read the article before seeing the pictures and I figured it would be similar to the Volt or Prius. Heck it looks like a modified motorcycle chassis with 4 wheels and a solid faring enclosing the cockpit.
I miss my Opel GT.Had a 1973 5-spd but never got it past 110mph as no one I knew of could properly adjust or repair the carb.Years later a fellow related how he found warping of the mounting was the issue and having the mounting surfaces milled flat again cured the tiny air/vacumn leaks that prevented proper adjustment.But I had already long sold my GT after a family member wrecked it and I was unemployed and unable to afford the repairs. Have not seen any in even decent shape in a long time.Looked at a couple advertised and found rusted junkpiles on inspection.
My parents had the Opel 1970 station wagon and it was thrifty of gas and easy to drive,park , and still carried a LOT of stuff.Local GM dealers didn’t want to be bothered with Opels.
Although I miss the GT ,the Opel Manta was also a sporty little car but more practical with seating for the family.
My Fiero is the out-of-the-ordinary car now,and it won’t rust!
My step-dad had one! Bought new in 1970, he kept it until about 1980 when he gave it to my brother, blew the engine in it..........
I think I would name it “One Deathtrap” and have done with the false advertising.
and a solid faring enclosing the death chamber.......there, fixed it.......
The Autobahn will be littered with carcasses of these cars.........and drivers.........
“In a Yugo....”
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