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IBIL and Opel promote the use of electric vehicles and in-home charging services


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The service will begin in the Basque Country and will extend progressively to the rest of Spain

* Opel / General Motors Spain and the company Ibil, which is 50% controlled by Ente Vasco de la Energía and Repsol, have signed an agreement to install charging points in the homes of Opel electric vehicle customers.
* Early next year, Opel will market the Opel Ampera, the first extended-range electric vehicle in Europe.
* Ibil will design, install and manage the charging stations.
* Ibil is the top electric vehicle charging manager in Spain with 120 charging stations in operation or under construction.
* Customers who purchase an electric vehicle at Opel dealerships will be able to contract the Ibil rental and installation services for a charging station in their homes.

General Motors Spain (Opel) and electric vehicle charge manager Ibil signed an agreement today to set the groundwork for commercial collaboration between the two entities to promote the sale of Opel electric vehicles and the installation of charge points by Ibil for public and private service (in homes and businesses).
The agreement was signed at General Motors Spain headquarters in Madrid by Ibil Executive Director Enrique Monasterio and General Motors Spain Executive Commercial Director Enrico De Lorenzi. The service will begin in the Basque Country and will progressively extend its area of action to the rest of Spain.

The agreement will enable customers who purchase an electric vehicle from Opel to sign a contract with Ibil for the in-home installation of a charge point, with Ibil assuming the entire investment cost of the electrical installation and charge terminal. Opel dealerships will also have Ibil services as the primary supplier at their facilities. This improves the network of charge points for Opel electric vehicle owners.
The Ibil charge point is equipment that charges electric vehicles with complete guarantees for safety and reliability, designed with specific elements for use exclusively with electric vehicles, connected at all times to the Ibil Control Centre for charge monitoring, user identification and assistance with any possible incident.
Over three days in June, Ibil had the opportunity of driving the Opel Ampera, a new extended-range electric vehicle that will be mass-produced in Europe. It is an electric car with attractive features and extraordinary functions. The vehicle responds to energy and environmental challenges.

E-mobility at General Motors

General Motors is committed to presenting a line of vehicles with electrification technologies, offering a range of solutions that enable customers to choose the vehicle that best meets their needs. Vast experience and knowledge in batteries, electric engines and power controls enable GM/Opel to offer the best possible alternatives in the area of vehicle electrification technologies.

The Opel Ampera extended-range electric vehicle, which will be launched early next year, will be the first electric vehicle in Europe suitable for daily use. The five-door Ampera seats four, with ample space for luggage in the boot. It is driven by electricity at all times and at any speed. For the first 40 – 80 km, power is supplied by electricity stored in the 16 kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Ampera battery is low, it can be charged in about four hours by connecting the vehicle’s onboard charging system to a domestic 230 volt socket. Because the Ampera charges quickly, it will be possible to drive most Amperas in electric mode all the time. For longer trips, the petrol engine / generator can extend the range up to 500 kilometres per tank. The extended-range technology makes the Opel Ampera the first electric car that can be driven without the “stress of being left on the side of the road”.

GM is also creating fleets of demo electric vehicles around the world in order to get a better idea about city driving habits, battery charging, infrastructure and acceptance of electric cars by customers in different global markets. This strategy includes:

Small battery-powered electric vehicles for those who travel short distances, for cities around the world.
Extended-range electric vehicles for those who want just one vehicle, for both short and long distances.
In the long term, hydrogen combustion cell electric vehicles for long-distance travel with zero emissions, without limits in terms of vehicle size or functionality.

Ibil supplies electric energy from renewable energy sources with source certification

Repsol and Ente Vasco de la Energía (EVE), the energy agency of the Basque Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation, Trade and Tourism, created the company Ibil in October 2010. Controlled 50% by both entities, its mission is to design, build and operate a network of comprehensive electric mobility services in the Basque Country, comprising a charging network that aims to reach 125 operational stations by the end of 2011. That figure will be surpassed very soon.

Ibil aims to become a technological benchmark in the national market in electric vehicle charging technologies. Thanks to the commitment of Repsol and EVE to new energy sources, Ibil has become a pioneering project that seeks to make electric vehicles the revolution in the transport sector in the coming years. More information on Ibil and its services is available on www.ibil.es.

This signing comes in addition to agreements signed recently between Ibil and other automakers in search of electric vehicle integration and vehicle charge solutions. Ibil also has a subsidiary called Ibilek Car-sharing that offers an electric vehicle hire service, which will operate in the city centres of the three Basque capitals by the end of this year. More information on Ibilek and its service is available on www.ibilek.es.

About Opel: Established in 1862, in Rüsselsheim, Germany, Opel is one of the largest automakers in Europe. Headquartered in Rüsselsheim, it operates 11 plants in eight countries, employing some 40,000 people (as of Dec/2010). Opel and its subsidiary company in the United Kingdom, Vauxhall, sell vehicles in over 35 countries throughout Europe. Opel models are characterised by an attractive design, innovative technologies and respect for environmental friendliness. In 2011, the company will launch the Ampera, the first extended-range electric vehicle. Opel / Vauxhall are part of the General Motors Company. More information on Opel and its products is available on www.opel.com and www.opel.es

About General Motors: General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, was established in 1908. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 208,000 people in the world’s most important regions, conducting business in some 120 countries. GM and its strategic partners manufacture automobiles and vans in 30 countries, selling and providing after-sales services to those vehicles through the following brands: Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. Chevrolet, GM’s global brand, is celebrating its Centennial in 2011. The largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Italy. OnStar, a GM subsidiary, is a leader in vehicle safety and information services. More information on the new General Motors Company is available on www.gm.com.



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