Opel Drops Electric Minicar Program

General Motors Co.'s Opel unit has scrapped plans to introduce an electric version of its new Adam minicar late next year.

The $14,700 Adam will debut in Europe in January with a 1.2- or 1.4-liter gasoline engine. A 1.0-liter turbocharged engine with carbon dioxide emissions of less than 100 g/km is scheduled to join the lineup later next year.

Opel had planned to offer European customers an EV variant with the same electric powertrain GM will use in the Chevrolet Spark EV that launches next year.

But Opel Chief Engineer Dieter Metz tells Automotive News Europe that the EV was cut because it would cost too much to develop a car that would attract sufficient consumer interest.