Michelin Challenge Bibendum 2006: General Motors Receives Eight Top Scores

Paris (ots) -

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- Fuel cell-powered HydroGen3 triumphs three times
- World's largest automaker committed to three-tier strategy

General Motors underlined its leading position in alternative
propulsion concepts with eight best performances at this year's
Michelin Challenge Bibendum (June 8 - 12, 2006). The HydroGen3, a
hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle based on the Opel Zafira, scored
top marks three times, the Opel Zafira CNG and the Saab 9-5 BioPower
twice, and the Saturn Vue Green Line, representing a new generation
of hybrid vehicles, once. Vehicles powered by natural gas,
bioethanol, hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell technology are important
parts of General Motors' strategy for reducing emissions and fuel
consumption to ensure sustainable mobility in the future.

With hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles such as the HydroGen3, GM
proves that alternative propulsion has already made the leap from the
laboratory to the road. The development vehicle, based on the Opel
Zafira, gets its electric power from 200 hydrogen fuel cell units
connected in series in the fuel cell stack under the hood. These
cells power the HydroGen3's 60 kW/82 hp electric motor, which
delivers a top speed of 160 km/h and accelerates the fuel cell car
from zero to 100 km/h in about 16 seconds in almost complete silence.
The car is currently undergoing a practical test as a customer
service vehicle at IKEA's furniture store in Berlin as part of the
Clean Energy Partnership (CEP), Berlin's government-aided hydrogen
demonstration project. In April 2005, it won the Rallye Monte Carlo
for fuel cell-powered vehicles, and in Paris it won top marks in the
slalom, as well as the emissions and CO2 categories.

The seven-seat, natural gas-powered Opel Zafira 1.6 CNG
(Compressed Natural Gas) compact van, which is about to be launched,
achieved top marks in the tests for braking and noise. Together with
the Combo 1.6 CNG, over 20,000 unit sales of the previous Zafira CNG
model made Opel the clear natural gas vehicle market leader in
Germany. Its monovalentplus concept is designed for maximum
efficiency in natural gas operation. Fuel costs are around 30 percent
less than diesel and as much as 50 percent less than gasoline, with
emission levels also lower: 20 percent less CO2 than a gasoline model
and 15 percent less than a diesel. Opel CNG vehicles' total operating
range is more than 500 kilometers.

The 9-5 2.0t BioPower from GM's Swedish daughter Saab achieved its
best marks in the acceleration and braking categories. Running on
bioethanol (E85), its powerful engine develops more performance than
a similar gasoline model, yet with reduced CO2 emissions. While
engine performance increases from 110 kW/150 hp to 132 kW/180 hp, the
combustion of bioethanol (E85), a renewable energy carrier, releases
around 90 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than
gasoline. The dynamic Saab BioPower, which is also available in other
European countries including Germany, currently accounts for around
80 percent of all sales of the 9-5 model range in Sweden.

As the first vehicle of a new hybrid generation, GM presented the
Saturn Vue Green Line in Paris, and it received a top rating in the
fuel economy category straight away. The compact SUV consumes up to
20 percent less fuel than a conventional gasoline model. The
innovative powertrain uses sophisticated electronic controls and a
unique electric motor/generator mated to a 2.4-liter four-cylinder
gasoline engine with variable valve timing to produce 127 kW/170 hp,
considerably more than the 106 kW/143 hp provided by the 2.2-liter
gasoline engine in the conventional Saturn Vue.

Three-tier strategy based on technology and economy

The short, mid and long-term three-tier strategy of GM, the
world's largest automaker, includes the on-going optimization of
conventional combustion engines, the increased use of alternative
fuels such as natural gas and bioethanol, and broader application of
hybrid propulsion where such systems would be most beneficial. In the
long-term, the introduction of vehicles with hydrogen as a propulsion
energy source offers the opportunity to establish the emission-free
car as a completely environmentally compatible means of transport.

Contact:
Andrew Marshall
06142-7-73815

Text and photos can be downloaded from the Internet at
http://media.opel.com.