2018 OPEL AMPERA E battery

150Driving and operatingOther objects, e.g. other keys,
transponder, tags, coins etc. must
be removed.
2. With the vehicle in P or N depress
the brake pedal and press
POWER m.
To switch off the vehicle, press
POWER m again. Remove the
electronic key from the centre
console.
This option is intended for
emergencies only. Replace the
electronic key battery as soon as
possible 3 19.
For unlocking or locking the doors,
see fault in radio remote control unit
or electronic key system 3 20.
Retained power off
The following electronic systems can
work until the driver's door is opened
or for ten minutes after the vehicle is
switched off:
● power windows
● Infotainment system
● power outlets
Starting and stopping the
vehicleMove the selector lever into P or N.
The propulsion system does not start
in any other position.
Note
Do not try to shift into P when the
vehicle is moving, as the electric
drive unit could be damaged. Shift
into P only when the vehicle is
stationary.
The electronic key must be inside the
vehicle. Depress the brake pedal,
then press POWERm.
If the electronic key is not in the
vehicle or something is interfering
with the transmitter, a message is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre.
A vehicle ready light is displayed in
the lower right corner of the
instrument cluster when the vehicle is ready to be driven.

Driving and operating151The instrument cluster also displays
an active battery gauge when the
vehicle is ready to be driven.
A chime will sound if the driver's door
is opened while the vehicle is
switched on. Always press
POWER m to switch off the vehicle
before exiting the vehicle.
If the vehicle will not start due to a low electronic key battery, the vehicle can
still be driven.
Operation in case of failure 3 148.
RestartingCaution
If the vehicle must be restarted
while it is still moving, move the
selector lever into N and press
POWER m twice without
depressing the brake pedal. The
propulsion system will not restart
in any other way.
Emergency shut off during driving
1. Brake using a firm and steady pressure. Do not pump the brakes
repeatedly. This may reduce
power assist, requiring increased brake pedal force.
2. Shift the selector lever into N. This
can be done while the vehicle is
moving. After shifting into N, firmly
apply the brakes and steer the
vehicle to a safe location.
3. Come to a complete stop, shift into P, and switch off the vehicle
by pressing POWERm.
4. Apply the parking brake. If the vehicle cannot be pulled
over and must be shut off while
driving, press and hold
POWER m for more than two
seconds, or press twice briefly within five seconds.9 Danger
Switching off the vehicle while
moving may disable the airbags.
While driving, only shut the
propulsion system off in an
emergency.
Starting the vehicle at low
temperatures
It is recommended to plug in the vehicle when exterior temperatures
are below 0 °C to maximise high
voltage battery life.
Should the exterior temperature be
lower than -32 °C, the vehicle must be
plugged in when the vehicle is
switched on.
Parking Note
Do not allow the vehicle to remain in
extreme temperatures for long
periods without being driven or
being plugged in.

Driving and operating153Electric vehicle
operation modes
Operation This vehicle is a purely electrically
driven vehicle. It always uses an
electric propulsion system to drive the
vehicle. Electricity is the vehicle's only source of energy.
Drive modes Sport modeSport mode provides more
responsive acceleration than normal
mode, but can reduce energy
efficiency. Use normal mode
whenever possible.
When the 3 indicator does not
illuminate, the vehicle is in normal
mode.
Press SPORT to select Sport mode.
Press SPORT again to return to
normal mode.
The 3 indicator will be
displayed in the instrument cluster
when Sport mode is selected.
Control indicator 3 80.
When Sport mode is active and the
vehicle is switched off, Sport mode
will still be active when the vehicle is switched on again.
Sport mode may be unavailable if the high voltage battery charge is too low.Electric drive unit
Operation The vehicle uses an electric drive
unit. The selector lever is located on
the centre console between the
seats.P:park position, wheels are locked, engage only when the vehicle is
stationaryR:reverse gear, engage only when
the vehicle is stationaryN:neutralD:drive mode, low recuperationL:low, high recuperation, enables
one pedal drive

158Driving and operatinghard braking, the vehicle can nolonger be steered and may
swerve.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Parking brake
Electric parking brake
The electric parking brake can always
be activated, even if the vehicle is
switched off.
Do not operate electric parking brake
system too often when the vehicle is
switched off as this will discharge the 12 V vehicle battery.
In case of insufficient electric power,
the electric parking brake cannot be
applied or released.
Applying when vehicle is stationary9 Warning
Pull switch m for a minimum of
one second until control indicator
m illuminates constantly and
electric parking brake is applied
3 79. The electric parking brake
operates automatically with
adequate force.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the electric parking brake status.
Control indicator m 3 79.
1. Be sure the vehicle is at a
complete stop.
2. Pull switch m for approx. one
second.
The control indicator m will flash and
then stay on once the electric parking brake is fully applied. Before leaving
the vehicle, check the control
indicator m to ensure the parking
brake is applied.
If the control indicator m flashes
continuously, then the electric parking
brake is only partially applied or there
is a problem with the electric parking
brake. A message is displayed in the
Driver Information Centre. Release
the electric parking brake and try to
apply it again. If the control indicator
m does not illuminate or keeps
flashing, seek the assistance of a
workshop.
Do not drive the vehicle if the control
indicator m is flashing 3 79.
If the electric parking brake is applied while the vehicle is moving, a chimewill sound and a message will be
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. The vehicle will decelerate as
long as the switch is pulled.
Releasing the switch m during the
deceleration process will release the
parking brake. If the switch m is

Driving and operating159pulled until the vehicle stops moving,
the electric parking brake will remain
applied.
When the electric parking brake fault
indicator j illuminates, the electric
parking brake has detected a system
problem and is operating with
reduced functionality. To apply the
electric parking brake when j
illuminates, pull the switch m and
hold it until the control indicator m
remains on. If the control indicator j
illuminates, seek the assistance of a
workshop.
The vehicle may automatically apply
the electric parking brake in some
situations when the vehicle is not
moving. This is normal, and is done to
periodically check the correct
operation of the electric parking brake
system.
If the electric parking brake fails to
apply, the rear wheels should be
blocked to prevent vehicle
movement.Releasing
1. Switch on the vehicle.
2. Keep brake pedal depressed. 3. Push switch m.
If attempting to release the electric
parking brake without the brake pedal
being applied, a chime will sound and
a message will be displayed in the Driver Information Centre. The
electric parking brake is released
when m is off.
If control indicator j is illuminated, the
electric parking brake has detected a
system problem, and is operating with reduced functionality. To release the
electric parking brake when j is on,
push down the switch m and hold it
down until the control indicator j
goes off. If the control indicator
remains illuminated, seek the
assistance of a workshop.
Note
Driving with the parking brake on
can overheat the brake system and
cause premature wear or damage to brake system parts. Make sure thatthe parking brake is fully released
and the control indicator m is off
before driving.
Automatic release
The electric parking brake is
automatically released when the
vehicle is running, placed into gear
and an attempt is made to drive away.
Avoid rapid acceleration when the
electric parking brake is applied, to
reduce wear of parking brake lining.
Electric parking brake control
indicator m 3 79.
Electric parking brake fault control
indicator j3 79.
Driver Information Centre 3 82.
Regenerative braking
Some braking energy from the
moving vehicle is turned back into
electrical energy. This energy is then
stored back into the high voltage
battery system, increasing energy
efficiency.
Regenerative power may be limited
when the high voltage battery is near
full charge or cold.

160Driving and operatingRegeneration on demand
Regeneration on demand allows
increased deceleration by pressing
and holding the steering wheel
paddle. It works in D (Drive) and L
(Low). The accelerator pedal must be mostly released for it to work.
If regenerative braking is active, the regenerative active icon with arrowsis shown as green.
Regenerative braking 3 76.
Cruise control will switch off and the
brake lights may come on when this
feature is activated.
If the vehicle is in D (Drive) and is
brought to a complete stop while the regenerative braking paddle is held,
the vehicle will not creep forward
when the paddle is released. The
accelerator pedal must be pressed to
move the vehicle forward.
One-pedal driving 3 153.
If the vehicle is on a steep gradient,
the brake pedal will be required to
hold the vehicle.
The brake controller applies the
hydraulic brakes using a pump. You
may hear the pump during some
braking manoeuvres, such as rapid
brake application or during
regenerative braking as the vehicle
comes to a stop. This is normal
operation.
Hill Top ReserveHill Top Reserve enables you to
maximise regenerative braking
efficiency when driving from a higher
elevation immediately after charging.
When switched on, this feature will
stop the charging process before thehigh voltage battery is full, allowing space for energy from regenerative
braking.
This feature also integrates with the Location-based charging feature,
allowing you to configure the system
so it is enabled when you are at home ( On – home only ) or away (On – away
only ).
Location based charging 3 196.

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.

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.