09:14 08-05-2026

Opel Ampera-e Owners Urge GM to Restore Connected Services Lost After OnStar Shutdown

Owners of the Opel Ampera-e in Europe are demanding that General Motors restore connected services that disappeared after the shutdown of OnStar Europe in December 2020. A petition titled "Don't Leave Us in the Dark" has been launched on Change.org.

The root of this issue dates back to 2017, when Opel and Vauxhall were sold to Groupe PSA. Today, these brands are part of Stellantis, but the Ampera-e is mechanically similar to the Chevrolet Bolt EV sold in North America. Owners argue that after GM's departure from Opel, their vehicles lost access to key features.

According to the petition, owners can no longer use remote heating or cooling of the cabin, real-time charging control, diagnostics, or geolocation services. For electric vehicle drivers, these are not mere conveniences—they are essential for planning charging and range effectively.

The petitioners are urging GM to open the API to third-party developers or release a software update that allows owners to connect the car to a smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. As of this writing, GM has not publicly responded. This situation highlights the risk for early electric cars: digital features can depend not only on hardware but also on the decisions of automakers.