According to GM Europe’s head Nick Reilly, Opel will launch a range of hybrid models within five years as part of campaign to overhaul its product lineup.
“We are confident that we can not only maintain but also expand our market share in Europe,” he told German magazine Auto Motor und Sport. “We will have hybrid engines in our programme, in the next five years.”
Reilly said that Opel is going to do its best to push hybrid models unlike former CEO Carl-Peter Forster, who said that the move would be too expensive.
The Opel Ampera, a sister model to the Chevrolet Volt, will hit European markets at the end of 2011. Reilly said that GM of Europe expects to sell 10,000 to 15,000 units a year. He said that a pure electric-car could be introduced within the next three years. A replacement for the entry-level Agila is also expected. A small SUV based on the Corsa for 2012/2013 is also in the works.
“We first have to conduct our restructuring successfully in addition to polishing our image and making regular profits. This is planned for 2012,” Reilly said.
- By: Stephen Calogera
Source: Reuters
