2018 OPEL AMPERA E Charging

Driving and operating193Charging
This section explains the process of
charging the vehicle's high voltage
battery. Do not allow the vehicle to
remain in places with extremes of
temperature for long periods without
being driven or plugged in.
It is recommended to keep the vehicle
plugged in, even if fully charged, to
keep the high voltage battery
temperature ready for the next drive.
The vehicle must be plugged in when
the temperatures are below -25 °C, to
operate properly and to maximise
high voltage battery life.
However, we recommend plugging in the vehicle when temperatures drop
below 0 °C or raise above 32 °C.
When using the portable charge cord, it will take approximately 33 hours to
charge the vehicle with the 10 A
setting.
When using a 230 V charging station, it will take approximately ten hours to
charge the vehicle with the 32 A
setting.Charge times will vary based on high
voltage battery condition and outside
temperature. There are three ways to programme how the vehicle is
charged.
Programmable charging 3 196.
The charging system may run fans
and pumps resulting in noises coming
from the vehicle while it is turned off.
Additional clicking sounds may be
caused by the electrical devices used
while charging.
While the charge cord is plugged into
the vehicle, the vehicle cannot be
driven.
When to charge When the high voltage battery is
getting low, charging messages may be displayed.
The Charge vehicle soon message
indicates that the driving range is low
and the vehicle needs to be charged
soon. As the charge level drops, the
Propulsion power is reduced
message is displayed and the
accelerator pedal response is
reduced. In addition, the remainingrange value will change to Low
indicating the vehicle should be
charged immediately.
When the energy is fully depleted, the Out of power. Charge vehicle now
message is displayed and the vehicle
slows to a stop. Brake and steering
assist will still operate. Once the
vehicle has stopped, switch off the
vehicle.
AC (alternating current) charging
Start charging
A portable charge cord used to
charge the vehicle high voltage
battery is stored under the rear floor
storage cover in the load
compartment.
1. Shift into P (Park) and switch off
the vehicle.

194Driving and operating
2. Push the rearward edge of thecharge port door in and release to
open the door.
In cold weather conditions, ice
may form around the charge port
door. Remove ice from the area
before attempting to open or close the charge port door.3. Open the tailgate. Lift the rear floor storage cover and remove
the charge cord.
4. Plug the charge cord into the electrical outlet.
Electrical requirements 3 208.
Verify the charge cord status.
Charge cord 3 204.
Select the appropriate charge
level.
See "Charge limit selection" in
Programmable charging 3 196.5. Plug in the vehicle plug of the
charge cord into the charge port
on the vehicle. Verify that the
charging status indicator
illuminates on top of the
instrument panel and an audible
beep occurs.
Charging status 3 203.
6. Once charging, the vehicle plug will be locked to the charge port
and cannot be disconnected while
charging is active.
Stop charging 1. To stop charging, when inside the
vehicle, use the Stop button on
the Charging screen.

Driving and operating195See "Temporary charge mode
override and cancel" in
Programmable charging 3 196.
Additionally, the stop charge
button on the electronic key may
also be used. Press and hold 5 on
the electronic key. This will also
unlock the vehicle plug.
2. Unplug the vehicle plug of the charge cord from the vehicle.
3. Close the charge port door by pressing firmly in the centre until it
engages.
4. Unplug the charge cord from the electrical outlet.
5. Place the charge cord into the storage compartment.
DC (direct current) charging
Check the charging station DC
vehicle plug for compatibility with the
DC charge port on this vehicle. When
recharging at a DC fast charge
station, the power cable connected to the vehicle must be less than 10 m in
length.
Follow the steps listed on the
charging station to perform a DC
vehicle charge.
If for any reason DC charging does
not begin or is interrupted, check the
DC charge station display for
messages. Unplug to restart the DC
charge process.
Start charging 1. Make sure the vehicle is parked.
2. Push the rearward edge of the charge port door and release to
open the door.
In cold weather conditions, ice
may form around the charge port
door. The charge port door may
not open on the first attempt.
Remove ice from the area andrepeat attempt to open the charge
port door.
3. Open the DC dust cover. Plug in the DC vehicle plug into the DC
charge port on the vehicle. Make
sure that the DC vehicle plug is
fully connected to the DC charge
port. If it is not properly seated
then the charge may not occur.
Proper plug connection can be
checked by information on the
Driver Information Centre.
4. Follow the steps listed on the charging station to start charging.
The electric parking brake will
automatically apply once the
charge process has been started.

196Driving and operating5. Once charging, the DC vehicleplug will be locked to the DC
charge port and cannot be
disconnected while charging is
active.
6. Verify that the charging status indicator illuminates on top of the
instrument panel and a horn chirp occurs.
Charging status 3 203.Caution
Do not attempt to disconnect the
DC vehicle plug while charging is
active. This action may damage vehicle or charging station
hardware.
Stop charging
Controls on the charging station can
be used to stop the charge process at any time. Or press and hold 5 on the
electronic key. This will also unlock
the vehicle plug.
To stop charging when inside the
vehicle, you may use the Stop button
on the Charging screen.
Programmable charging 3 196.
There is also an available mobile app
with several charging functions.
Smartphone remote function 3 26.Automatic power supply cut-off
When the vehicle no longer needs to
use power from the charging station,
the charging process will be stopped.
Use the electronic key to unlock the
DC vehicle plug.
Energy can still be consumed from
the charging station when the
vehicle’s displays and indicators
show that the high voltage battery is
fully charged. This is to ensure the
high voltage battery is in optimal
temperature operating range to
maximise vehicle range.
Programmable charging 3 196.
End charging
1. Wait until the charging process has been fully stopped, the
vehicle plug is unlocked and the
charging status indicator is solid
green or off.
2. Unplug the DC vehicle plug from the DC charge port on the vehicle
and close the dust cover.
3. Close the charge port door by pressing firmly in the centre to
latch properly.
4. Manually disengage the electric parking brake before driving the
vehicle.
5. To start another DC charge, remove the DC vehicle plug and
reconnect.
Programmable charging
Programmable charge modes To view the current charge mode
status in the Infotainment display,
touch Energy and then Charging.
The charge start and charge
complete time estimations are also
displayed on the screen. These
estimations are most accurate when
the vehicle is plugged in and in
moderate temperature conditions.
Also, to get an accurate time
estimate, the vehicle uses an internal
clock for programmable charging, not the clock in the instrument panel.

Driving and operating197Charge mode selection
Touch Energy and then Charging and
select the desired charging mode.Immediate
The vehicle starts charging as soon
as it is connected to an electrical outlet.
Select the Charge limit , see below.
Departure
The vehicle estimates the charging start time considering the
programmed departure time for the
current day of the week. Charging
begins at the start time and iscomplete by the departure time only if
sufficient time is allowed after the
charge cord is plugged in.
Select the Priority charging to On or
Off (Priority charging will immediately
charge the vehicle to a predefined
level).Departure time entry
The departure charge mode allows
for the departure time to be entered to match your personal schedule.
1. With Departure charge mode
selected, touch Edit.
2. The current programmed
departure time is displayed on the
tab with the day of the week.
Select the tab for the day of the
week that needs to be edited.
3. Touch + or − to change the hours
and minutes.
4. Touch o or n to change AM or
PM .
5. Touch q to exit the screen.
Note
● Charging begins at the start time and is completed by departure
time only if sufficient time is
allowed after the charge cord is
plugged in.
● The vehicle uses an internal clock for programmable
charging, not the clock in the Info display.Charging mode error
If a charging problem has occurred,
the error message is displayed. In this
case, please try restarting the vehicle or contact a workshop.

198Driving and operating
Charge limit selection
The charge limit setting allows the
vehicle’s charge limit to be selected
so it matches the capability of the
charging location. If the vehicle
consistently stops charging after
plugging in, or if a circuit breaker
continues to trip, reducing to a lower
charge limit setting may resolve the
issue.
The charge limit setting should be
configured to match the electrical
current rating for the electrical outlet
that the charge cord is connected to.
On the Charge mode screen, toggle
the Charge limit selection between:
● 10 A
● 6 A
The charge limit setting must be
updated prior to the vehicle being
charged and the charge limit setting
will reset to a default value when the
vehicle is shifted from P.9 Warning
If the capacity of the electrical
circuit or AC socket is not known,
only use the lowest charge level
until the circuit capacity has been
inspected by a qualified
electrician. Using a charge level
that exceeds either the electrical
circuit or the AC outlet capacity
may start a fire or damage the
electrical circuit.
Electrical requirements 3 208.
Electric rate preference
The vehicle estimates the charging
start time based on the utility rate schedule, utility rate preference, and
the programmed departure time for
the current day of the week. The
vehicle will charge during the least
expensive rate periods to achieve a
full high voltage battery charge by the departure time. Electrical rate
information from the utility company
for the charging location is required
for this mode.
From the Charge mode screen with
Departure charge mode selected,
touch More to select the Electric rate
preference .

Driving and operating199
Touch one of the following options to
select the Electric rate preference :
● Off: Delayed charging based on
departure.
● Off-peak only : Charge during off-
peak rates.
● Cost optimised off-peak & mid-
peak : Charge during mid-peak
and off-peak rates.
● Cost optimised all rates : Charge
during peak, mid-peak, and off-
peak rates.
Charging begins at the start time and
is complete by the departure time only if sufficient time is allowed after the
charge cord is plugged in. For
example, if the vehicle is plugged in
for only one hour prior to the
departure time, and the high voltage
battery is completely discharged, the vehicle will not be fully charged by the
departure time regardless of the rate
selection.
Also, if the selected electric rate
settings result in a very long charge
completion time, the vehicle will start
charging immediately upon plug-in.
For example, if the electric rate table
is set up with all peak rates and the
rate preference is to charge during
off-peak rates only, then the vehicle will start charging immediately uponplug-in.
Electric rate schedule
From the Charging mode screen with
Departure charge mode selected,
touch Edit in the Electric rate
preference .
Select one of the following for the
Charge completion option:
● Earliest possible
● Latest possible
Electric rates, or cost per unit, may
vary based on time, weekday /
weekend, and season. During the day
when the demand for electricity is
high, the rates are usually higher and
called peak rates. At night when the
demand for electricity is low, the rates
are usually lower and called off-peak
rates. In some areas, a mid-peak rate is offered.

200Driving and operating
Touch Edit electric rate schedule from
the Electric rate Schedule screen and
select the desired schedule.
● Yearly
● Summer / Winter
Summer / Winter schedule start date
entering
With Summer / Winter as the
preferred rate schedule, touch Edit on
the Summer tab next to the dates.
1. Touch + or − to change the month
and day for the start of Summer.
2. Select the Winter tab.3.Touch + or − to change the month
and day for the start of Winter.
4. Touch q to exit the screen.Electric rate schedule editing
Electric rate information from the
utility company for the charging
location is required.
1. Touch Edit electric rate schedule
from the Electric rate Schedule
screen and select the desired
schedule.
2. Touch Edit in the lower right
corner of the screen to edit the
electric rate schedule.
Both weekday and weekend
schedules must be set. The rate
schedule only applies for a
24-hour period, starting at 12 AM
and ending at 12 AM. There can
be five rate changes for each day; not all must be used.
3. Touch Set next to the row to be
edited.
4. Select Peak, Mid-peak , or Off-
peak . Use + or - to enter the time,
and o or n to change AM or
PM.
The finish times must be
consecutive. If a finish time does not follow a start time, an error
message displays.
5. Touch OK.