German-based vehicle manufacturer Opel was a General Motors subsidiary until its acquisition by the PSA Group in 2017. GM kept the BUICK brand which sells cars in Canada, Mexico, and China. Opel is sold in Australia and New Zealand as Holden and in the UK as Vauxhall. Opel still sells the Bolt under the Ampera-e name. For future models, Opel will use the PSA EV strategy and use the groups Common Modular Platform. Opel announced its EV strategy at the start
of November 2018 naming it “PACE! Works!” aiming to be sustainably
profitable, electric and global. The Opel Pace strategy will bring eight
new models to market through to 2021 and include the electrification of
its model range. The firts 8 models electrified by the Opel/Vauxhall brand’s are: BEV / Pure electric Models: Corsa-e in 2020 Vivaro van in 2020 Next-gen Mokka X in 2020 Combo Life in 2021 Combo Cargo / Vauxhall Combo in 2021 Zafira Life / Vauxhall Vivaro Life in 2021 Grandland X Hybrid4 in 2020 Next-gen Astra in 2021
Opel announced that it will open its order books for the Grandland Plug-in electric vehicle and Opel Corsa
in the first half of 2019. The company also announced during its
120-year birthday celebrations that it will bring a pure electric
version of the 2020 Vivaro van to market and that it will start serious production of a pure electric Opel Mokka compact SUV also in 2020. “Opel is going electric!” says Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller. “We made this announcement at the presentation of our PACE!
strategic plan and now we are delivering.” He went further saying “The
new Corsa will make electro-mobility affordable for many customers, it
will be a real electric car for the people.”
Opel and Vauxhall which is now integrated into the PSA Group
announced its EV strategy, PACE, on the 8th of November 2018. According
to the Opel EV strategy the company aims to be a fully electrified car
brand by 2024 starting with a pure electric Opel Corsa, Opel Mokka X and
Grandland X plug-in hybrid’s by 2020. Having access to the sophisticated Groupe PSA platforms
and propulsion technologies is the foundation for the extensive
electrification of the Opel portfolio. Four vehicles will already be
electrified in 2020. This includes the new Corsa in a pure battery
electric variant, along with the Grandland X PHEV – Opel’s first plug-in
hybrid. These vehicles are integral components of Opel’s product
offensive: The company will bring a total of eight new models to market
in the next two years. There will be an electric version of every Opel
model in 2024 already.
Opel is charting its own course on the electrification of its models after being acquired from GM by the French PSA Group. Opel
CEO Michael Lohscheller announced this week that the company would
produce an electric Opel/Vauxhall Corsa sub-compact car in 2020. The
Corsa EV will be assembled exclusively at the company’s Spanish plant
in Zaragoza.
PSA Group’s recently acquired, Opel’s
head of development Giles Le Borgne in an interview with Automobilwoche
stated – “We will gradually start using PSA platforms and engines for
the Opel model lineup.” Appart from the obvious job losses it is safe to
assume that we will see more EVs from the brand now that its free from GM‘s limited pursuit of the technology to now.
Opel unveiled the Grandland X PHEV SUV which would be the company’s first
electric vehicle, signaling the opportunities the brand has being
acquired by PSA.
Pro EV Opel CEO, Dr. Karl Neumann, is replaced by PSA Group Finance
Chief Michael Lobscheller clouding Opel’s EV plans in uncertainty.
On the eve of the Geneva Auto Show, the PSA Group and GM announced the sale of Opel and Vauxhall brands to PSA Peugeot Citroën.
The transaction is valued at £1.9 billion, making PSA the second
biggest automaker in Europe. GM CEO, Mary Barra, indicated the
two companies could still co-operate on electric vehicle and fuel cell
technology.
It is uncertain how the acquisition would influence Opel CEO, Dr. Karl Neumann’s plans to change Opel to an all-electric brand.
For the first time at an international auto show, electric vehicles took
center stage at the Paris Auto Show this week, overshadowing new
reports of Tesla
autopilot crashes, refuted by the company. The prominence of electric
vehicles at the show confirms the shift towards the segment. Most of the
front runners in the segment were presented there and used the
opportunity to unveil new models, such as the Opel Ampera-e, which is the Chevrolet Bolt badged for the European market. VW unveiled its ID concept vehicle and Renault the Trezor.
Opel Electric Vehicles
Opel Electric Car Strategy in the news
2018 Week 49 Opel to start taking orders for Corsa EV and Grandland PHEV
2018 Week 44 Opel to be fully electrified passenger car brand
2018 Week 7 Opel to build electric Corsa
2017 Week 40 Opel to use PSAs EV platform
2017 Week 37 Opel unveils the Grandland X PHEV SUV
2017 Week 23 Pro EV CEO at Opel replaced by PSA Peugeot Citroen board
2017 Week 11 PSA Group Acquires Opel and Vauxhall from GM
2016 Week 39 Paris Auto Show unveiling op Amera-e
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