SMM News: according to foreign media reports, Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller said that with the upcoming launch of electric vehicles, Opel will be able to achieve the EU mandatory CO2 emission reduction targets.
Under its previous employer, General Motors, Opel and its sister British brand, Vauxhall, do not have a realistic roadmap to meet CO2 rules. But in 2017, the Lohscheller warned that the EU's potential fine for CO2 emissions violations could pose a "huge" risk to Opel's future. Under the leadership of PSA Group, the new parent company, Opel's situation has changed. PSA now provides Opel with a platform for producing new pure electric cars and plug-in hybrid models.
In releasing the electric version of the Corsa small hatchback, Corsa-e, Lohscheller said: "under normal circumstances, we need to report CO2 emissions with other brands of the PSA Group, but I think it is very important that the Opel brand alone contribute to CO2 emissions compliance. And that's why Opel launched these new models. "
In the context of EU legislation to address climate change, Lohscheller declined to disclose details of Opel's separate CO2 emissions reduction targets. According to JATO Dynamics estimates, the EU requires the average CO2 emissions of all new cars sold in Europe to be reduced to 95 grams per kilometer by 2021, compared with last year's 120g/km.
Opel is now accepting reservations from Corsa-e and is expected to start delivery by the end of June next year. The car starts at 29900 euros in Germany. According to the European WLTP test cycle, the car has a range of 330km. The Corsa-e is a sister model of the Peugeot e208, which will go on sale early next year. Opel also plans to release a pure electric version of the Mokka X straddler and Vivaro light business goods vehicles by the end of 2020. This month, Opel's first plug-in hybrid, the Grandland X Hybrid4, began accepting reservations, starting at 49940 euros in Germany.
In 2017, during the announcement of its PACE restructuring, Opel said it would launch a pure electric version or plug-in hybrid version of each of its models by 2024.