Photo: Groupe PSA
Completed in August 2017, the purchase of Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors by Groupe PSA gave birth to Europe’s second-biggest automaker by sales volume thanks to a 17-percent market share. But once in French hands, the future of Opel and Vauxhall remains uncertain, especially in terms of jobs.
In a cryptic release titled “Groupe PSA awards new vehicle production to the Sochaux and Mulhouse plants,” the French supergroup confirmed that two of its French production facilities will kick into overdrive from 2020 and 2021, respectively. While the new models haven’t been made public, it’s only natural to expect that they’ll bear the Citroen, Peugeot, and DS badges.
Rumor in the automotive industry has it Groupe PSA plans to move a part of Opel and Vauxhall production from Germany and the United Kingdom to France, which is worrying for the two automakers’ workers. PSA refused to offer clarifications on this matter, while Opel and Vauxhall both commented that production will continue as is at least until 2020. What about after '20?
To that question, nobody offered an answer. In the light of Brexit, the most anticipated scenario is that UK production of the Astra will end at Ellesmere Port. Considering that much of Britain’s attractiveness for foreign automotive companies stems from its access to other European markets, the UK’s divorce from the European Union by April 2019 might not fare well with Groupe PSA.
As if this wasn’t worrying enough, the plot thickens with the next-generation Astra. Groupe PSA confirmed that “Mulhouse and Sochaux will soon manufacture all their vehicles on the EMP2 platform,” which underpins the 308. Thus, word on the street is the next-generation Astra will transition from GM D2XX to PSA EMP2, which is a troubling possibility for Ellesmere Port.
Cutting development costs is crucial for Groupe PSA if the automaker wants to be as competitive as possible in these dog-eat-dog times in the European automotive industry. And thus, something has to give by decade’s end.
Rumor in the automotive industry has it Groupe PSA plans to move a part of Opel and Vauxhall production from Germany and the United Kingdom to France, which is worrying for the two automakers’ workers. PSA refused to offer clarifications on this matter, while Opel and Vauxhall both commented that production will continue as is at least until 2020. What about after '20?
To that question, nobody offered an answer. In the light of Brexit, the most anticipated scenario is that UK production of the Astra will end at Ellesmere Port. Considering that much of Britain’s attractiveness for foreign automotive companies stems from its access to other European markets, the UK’s divorce from the European Union by April 2019 might not fare well with Groupe PSA.
As if this wasn’t worrying enough, the plot thickens with the next-generation Astra. Groupe PSA confirmed that “Mulhouse and Sochaux will soon manufacture all their vehicles on the EMP2 platform,” which underpins the 308. Thus, word on the street is the next-generation Astra will transition from GM D2XX to PSA EMP2, which is a troubling possibility for Ellesmere Port.
Cutting development costs is crucial for Groupe PSA if the automaker wants to be as competitive as possible in these dog-eat-dog times in the European automotive industry. And thus, something has to give by decade’s end.
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