Citing a report in German monthly business circular Manager Magazin, Automotive News says that Opel chief executive Karl-Thomas Neumann has been developing a strategy to transform the General Motors subsidiary into an EV-only brand.
According to the report, the proposal was designed to help ensure Opel’s long-term viability, with the GM board set to make a decision on the plan in May.
Prompted by concerns that Opel would not be able to sustain development of both combustion and electric drivetrains, Neumann is said to have been working on the strategy as GM discussed the possibility of selling Opel to PSA Group.
Under the terms of the plan, Opel would leverage the GM EV platform used for the Chevrolet Bolt as the basis for future models, phasing out sales of vehicles equipped with combustion engines by 2030. As part of the transition, Opel would be divided into “old” and “new” divisions.
The status of Neumann’s proposal remains uncertain.
Read full article at: Automotive News »
gave me the unsettling feeling that this "secret e-plan" could just be subterfuge to help get PSA to jump
I saw that this program was scheduled to go 'to the Board' by May...
...which means it sure wasn't a secret from the higher ups
Good point and does that secret e-plan go with them if they are sold.
gave me the unsettling feeling that this "secret e-plan" could just be subterfuge to help get PSA to jump
I saw that this program was scheduled to go 'to the Board' by May...
...which means it sure wasn't a secret from the higher ups
The reports don't provide any timelines, but presumably both the discussions with PSA and the development of Neumman's proposal were set in motion a while ago.
All of this sounds very scattershot.
Thanks for that I know Vauxhall is just a rebadged Opel but never quite understood how it worked in the GM Hierarchy as in treated like a separate brand or just literally a different badge. Kind of funny my g/f loves top gear and has been binge watching them lately and asked me about Vauxhall and I told her it was an old brand GM bought with a strong name in the UK but didn't have a good enough reason as to why they aren't just Opels now.