GM May Sell Opel Division To France’s PSA Group — What Would Happen With The Opel Ampera-e?
GM is reportedly now in talks with the French auto manufacturer PSA Group about a possible sale of its Germany-based Opel division. If these talks do lead to a sale, that wouldn’t be too surprising, as Opel has reportedly been a money loser for GM for quite some time now.
What happens, though, if GM does unload Opel, with PSA Group taking control? What happens to the Opel Ampera-e (a rebranded Chevy Bolt EV)? Will the possible sale lead to the discontinuation of the model, despite seemingly strong demand in Norway and elsewhere, or will it be something Opel keeps in full and perhaps even decides to push harder?
Interesting questions, in my opinion.
With regard to the sale talks themselves, GM released a statement that noted that it and PSA Group are now “exploring numerous strategic initiatives aiming at improving profitability and operational efficiency, including a potential acquisition of Opel Vauxhall by PSA.”
The Car Connection provides a bit more information, and some background:
“That’s an unusually vague statement from GM, which concluded that, ‘there can be no assurance that an agreement will be reached.’
“GM has owned Germany-based Opel for nearly 90 years and, in recent years, it has relied heavily on the unit to supply its Buick line with products in the United States. However, Opel has been a consistent money loser for GM — so much so that the Detroit automaker was rumored to jettison Opel during its 2009 bankruptcy. Opel lost almost $260 million last year.”
With regard to why PSA Group may be interested in Opel, besides stating the obvious, a look at production figures is worth the time — PSA Group sold around 3.1 million vehicles and Opel sold around 1.2 million in 2016. So a purchase by PSA Group could immediately allow for decent market expansion, if handled right.
Does anyone here have an more insight into what would likely happen with the Ampera-E under such a transfer?
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