Electric Cars Moving From Prototype to Showroom

Gherardo Corsini, director of electric vehicle implementation at General Motors’ Opel/Vauxhall unit, made his way Sunday to Geneva from Germany more quietly than most. He was at the wheel of a prototype of the Opel Ampera.

“Getting lots of curious looks at the rest area,” one of Mr. Corsini’s passengers, Dietmar Thate, manager of social media for Opel, tweeted after the car made a short stop Sunday.

The hybrid car, which will be put on display this week at the Geneva International Auto Show, is designed to run on batteries for about 60 kilometers, or 35 miles, before a gasoline-powered generator kicks in for longer trips.

Opel has displayed the Ampera at previous auto shows. But this time, the message — underscored by Mr. Corsini’s 560-kilometer road trip — is that the darn thing actually works.

For further information: New York Times