Frankfurt motor show 2007 - GM

GM is pushing ahead with plans to have an electric car on the market by 2010, and used Frankfurt to further push its concepts by launching the latest in its expanding line of E-Flex cars – the Opel Flextreme.

The plug-in hybrid shares many of its underpinnings with the Volt concept, which was launched at this year’s Detroit motor show, but has a few twists of its own – including the drop down rear storage for two Segway Personal Transporters.

The monopod concept car has a sweeping transparent roof and rear hinged doors.

Like all E-Flex cars, the car is powered by a Lithium-ion battery, while a diesel motor will kick-in to power a generator and recharge the battery once it is out of charge.

The new concept car is powered by an Opel-engineered 1.3-litre turbo diesel motor rather than the Volt's 1.0-litre turbocharged 3-cylinder petrol engine.

When using battery-only power the Flextreme is expected to have a range of around 62 miles, which rises to 480 miles when used in conjunction with the diesel engine.