Opel boss Hochschurtz: He sees no chance for hydrogen technology in these vehicles

Created: 02/11/2022 15:34

By: Sebastian Oppenheimer

Opel boss Uwe Hochschurtz (58) wants to sell only electric cars in Europe by 2028.

Now he has explained what he thinks of hydrogen technology in cars.

Rüsselsheim – A lot has happened at the Rüsselsheim carmaker Opel in recent years: in 2017, the manufacturer changed hands from long-term owner General Motors (GM) to the PSA group.

The latter in turn merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in 2012, resulting in the Stellantis Group, which, in addition to Opel, houses twelve other car brands under its roof.

And since September 2021, the brand has also had a new boss in Uwe Hochschurtz (58), who only wants to sell electric cars in Europe by 2028.

The 58-year-old has now commented on the subject of hydrogen technology in cars, as reported by 24auto.de.

Opel boss Hochschurtz: He sees no chance for hydrogen technology in these vehicles

In an interview with the "Hamburger Abendblatt", the Opel boss spoke about numerous aspects of electromobility - including the issue of the production costs of electric cars: these are currently around 50 percent higher than those of a combustion vehicle.

And he warns customers in advance: If all the subsidies for e-cars are removed one day, “normal citizens will notice”.

The Opel Mokka is also available as a purely electric vehicle - with the additional abbreviation "-e".

© Opel

Opel boss Hochschurtz: charging time will soon be more important than the range discussion

According to Hochschurtz, the range of electric vehicles from Opel will be "in the range that we know from combustion engines today".

In his opinion, the future discussions would shift more to the topic of loading times.

The aim is to be able to charge an Opel within a minute for a range of more than 30 kilometers.

(Electric car study shows: Stromers really are that environmentally friendly)

Although he is aware that the charging network must be expanded, this is currently happening at great speed.

That's why he can reassure the customers.

"Anyone who buys an electric vehicle will also find a charging station." Be it in public spaces or at home.

(Mobile recharging: Quick help when the e-car battery is empty)

Opel boss Uwe Hochschurtz wants to sell only electric cars in Europe by 2028.

© Arne Dedert/dpa

Opel boss Hochschurtz: The future "for the light car" is clearly battery-electric

In the interview with the "Hamburger Abendblatt", the Opel boss also takes a position on the subject of hydrogen.

According to his statements, however, Hochschurtz quite obviously sees the future of the fuel cell in the area of ​​commercial vehicles.

The future “for light passenger cars is clearly battery-electric.” However, he did not reveal at what weight a hydrogen drive would then be an option.

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Of course, the chip crisis also affects production at Opel: While the manufacturer Audi prefers to install the few available semiconductors in higher-positioned models, Opel has opted for a similar prioritization.

The scarce chips are preferably installed in e-models.