Opel - success with electric vehicles? - video Dailymotion

DW (English)

Opel was once one of the largest car manufacturers in Europe. Founded 126 years ago, its production figures had declined in recent years. Now the company belongs to the Stellantis Group. Will Opel succeed in its transformation to an EV manufacturer?

Transcript

00:00Will the new concept car change everything?

00:05Opel is one of Europe's largest car makers and among the oldest car manufacturers in the world.

00:11One more time.

00:13All of its models are also produced in an e-variant.

00:17Opel made losses for 19 years, but recently it began turning a profit again.

00:21It has manufacturing sites in several European countries and 15,000 employees in Germany alone.

00:27Can Opel make the transformation to a 100% e-car producer?

00:32Let's check it out.

00:37I'm at Opel headquarters near Frankfurt.

00:40More than 8,000 people work here.

00:42Beginning in 2024, the company plans to manufacture all of its models in a battery electric variant.

00:49And I'm even allowed to try my hand on the assembly line.

00:54It's harder than you might think.

00:56So what does it mean for the workers who have to assemble the Opel Astra as a hybrid,

01:01a combustion model and as a battery electric version depending on what happens to be up next?

01:10Here on the line, the electric motor arrives almost fully assembled.

01:14We do most of the assembly of the combustion engines.

01:17So the process is different, but it also gives us more variety in our work.

01:23Opel began turning a profit again in 2018.

01:27That's also because they are now a subsidiary of Stellantis and can benefit from new synergies.

01:33A visit to the company's museum collection.

01:36For more than a century, Opel kept nearly every part of the manufacturing process firmly in its own hands,

01:43including research and experiments like this race car with rocket propulsion from 1928.

01:49Then there are bestsellers like this 2 million Opel Kapitän with real gold-plated trim.

01:56And a doctor's car. So can we go for a spin in it?

02:01How about to show you the Opel doctor's car from 1901?

02:06Yeah, I would really like to see that.

02:08You can crank it up if you want.

02:10Okay, let's try.

02:12But it has to be done by hand.

02:20One more time.

02:26There we are.

02:31The name of the car came about because around 1909 it was popular with doctors

02:36who drove it to pay host calls to their patients.

02:40The top speed is between 50 and 60 kilometers an hour.

02:43That was quite fast for 1909.

02:50Opel also carried out many experiments with electric vehicles.

02:55Like this twin-concept car dating from 1992.

02:59It has two propulsion modules.

03:02One is electric, the other is a combustion engine,

03:06which can be attached to the rear of the car depending on what's needed.

03:12But e-cars didn't really take off back then.

03:15That's changed.

03:16There are charging stations now and a proper e-car market.

03:20Last year Opel sold some 90,000 electric vehicles.

03:25Opel's restructuring also meant reducing its workforce

03:29and becoming a subsidiary of Stellantis,

03:32which also includes the brands Fiat and Peugeot.

03:35It's the world's fourth largest automaker with 14 brands in its lineup.

03:40And now the CEO is planning to switch production entirely to e-cars,

03:45which will run on green energy.

03:48We'll lead the automotive industry and achieve carbon net zero by 2038.

03:57We pay a visit to another Opel factory in Eisenach, Germany.

04:01To support the e-mobility switch,

04:03Stellantis plans to invest in the plant and all the brands

04:07that tune off 50 billion euros over the next decade.

04:12The purpose is of course to create synergies that can be used between the brands,

04:18while at the same time giving all the possibilities to the brands

04:22to make a car that suits what they want to do with the brands.

04:26Opel builds its cars on these platforms.

04:29And then each model gets its own design.

04:32This plant is already using them.

04:34Stellantis is a partner in joint ventures, including two battery factories,

04:39one in France and another in preparation in Germany,

04:43which will one day supply batteries to 1.2 million e-cars a year.

04:51We share battery technology, we share certain structural elements.

04:57But then you see for Opel it is very important that we convey to our customers

05:02the traditional German driving values, which mean a robust driving position,

05:08a robust road holding, direct steering.

05:10And all of this is possible to create while still maintaining certain synergies.

05:16For some years now, Opel has offered a warranty

05:19for repair and replacement of ailing batteries in its electric vehicles.

05:23Used batteries are returned to this battery refurbishment center,

05:27where they are repaired and returned.

05:31So do Opel's designers still have room for input?

05:35I'm meeting with Opel's chief designer Florian Theis.

05:40Nice to meet you.

05:42We are kind of in the most secret area of Opel.

05:46Why do you have to work secretly here?

05:49Yeah, so warm welcome from my side, first of all.

05:51Thank you.

05:52Well, it's obviously what we are doing here is for the next 10 up to 15 years from now.

05:58And we don't want to show the rest of the world everything we're doing.

06:01So it needs to stay kind of secret.

06:04But, as we will show you in a second,

06:06we got concept cars that show a bit of an outlook where we want to go.

06:09Yes, if you want, we can take off the cover.

06:15The concept car has a signature sound,

06:17an idea they are planning to incorporate into new models.

06:21We call it painting with light.

06:23You can create your own whole look and feel just with light.

06:29So, let's go.

06:42The experimental.

06:44Concept cars are first made out of a modeling material.

06:47I'm going to try my hand on shaping the fender.

06:51So if I want to change for… just put a new line here.

06:55These little tools.

06:58You can just try.

06:59I'll try.

07:00Okay.

07:05Now I destroyed your whole work.

07:07Perfect. You can start as a modeler.

07:09Thank you. I destroyed it all.

07:11And these are the first models inspired by the concept car.

07:18The SUV Grandland in the e-version.

07:20By 2028, Opel plans to have gone full electric.

07:24The funding for this switch has already been secured.

07:27That's one of the benefits of being a Stellantis subsidiary.

07:30One of the world's most profitable car makers.

07:33This Astra electric is listed for 42,000 euros.

07:36Now it's up to the customers to decide whether to get on board.

Opel - success with electric vehicles?

Category

Transcript

Recommended