The multinational auto company Stellantis is increasing its investments in electromobility.
For the German subsidiary Opel, this means a quick realignment with a real comeback.
Paris / Rüsselsheim - The Opel Manta is coming back - as an electric car.
Like the legendary sports car from the 1970s, the car manufacturer Opel as a whole is facing a complete switch to electromobility.
Until 2028, the company will only offer electric vehicles in Europe, announced Opel boss Michael Lohscheller on Thursday at a presentation by the parent company Stellantis. In addition, Opel will be launched on the Chinese market as a purely electric brand. A new edition of the classic sports car “Manta” as an electric car is also planned for the middle of this decade.
Opel parent company Stellantis plans to invest more than 30 billion euros in the electrification of its car models by the middle of the decade.
Among other things, an own battery production and several platforms are planned, on which different car models can then be built.
Low-emission vehicles in Europe are expected to have a share of over 70 percent by the end of the decade, compared to 14 percent at the moment, as CEO Carlos Tavares announced on Thursday at an online presentation.
Stellantis was created at the beginning of the year from the merger of the French PSA group with Fiat Chrysler (FCA).
The group with strong pillars in Europe and North America has 14 brands, among them Peugeot, Fiat, Dodge and Opel.
In the Chinese market, both FCA and PSA had problems.
The e-cars should have a range of up to 800 kilometers, said Tavares.
According to the company, from 2026 onwards, car users will not have to pay more for an electric car than for a conventional car with a combustion engine.
Possible government support is excluded from this calculation.
With Lohscheller's announcement, it cannot be ruled out that Opel will continue to sell cars with internal combustion engines on non-European markets after 2028.
"With an exit from combustion engines in Europe in 2028, Opel is on the right track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees," said Greenpeace traffic expert Marion Tiemann.
“However, combustion engines shouldn't be sold anywhere else for long.” Dpa
