Employees on an Opel production line on June 8, 2024 in Ruesselsheim, western Germany (AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)
“At the time of the Thirty Glorious Years, the site was the size of Monaco”, but it was without nostalgia that the inhabitants of Russelsheim, cradle of Opel, celebrated on Saturday the 125th anniversary of the German brand and its ambitious electric shift.
On the eve of the vote for the European elections in Germany, the symbol represented by the anniversary of this flagship of national industry did not escape Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who came to participate in the celebrations.
“We support the development of electromobility,” assured the Social Democratic leader in a speech to the hundreds of people gathered.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (4thD), Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares (6thD) and Opel CEO Florian Huettl(3rdD) visit an Opel factory celebrating its 125th anniversary on June 8, 2024 in Ruesselsheim, west from Germany (AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)
“To want to go back now is not only to endanger everything that has already been achieved, it is also to endanger our future success, our future prosperity as an industrial nation,” he said. assured.
The decline in sales of electric cars in Europe and the criticism from several political forces, during the European campaign, denouncing a too rapid shift to electric, worry manufacturers.
Some candidates in the ballot question the 2025 deadline set by the Twenty-Seven to ban the sale of new vehicles with thermal engines, pointing in particular to the risk of social breakdown in European factories.
– Prepare for the future –
“Electricity is the hope of keeping work, it is an essential step, because if we stay with the diesel engine, it will be a complete closure,” replies Stefan Trautmann, who came to celebrate the anniversary of the factory from which the first Opel automobile came out in 1899.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits an Opel factory, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary, on June 8, 2024 in Ruesselsheim, western Germany (AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)
However, this 56-year-old man left the company where he worked in finance and design four years ago, as part of a voluntary departure plan. He found work with a competitor.
“Positions have been reduced” but “fewer workers is always better than none at all!”, he believes while testing a rust-colored electric Opel Frontera.
After experiencing its heyday as one of the largest European manufacturers, the brand experienced difficult times from the 1990s.
Nature has today taken possession of part of the industrial complex, covering the ruins of the test tracks from the time when the Russelsheim site “was the size of Monaco”, assures Thomas, a visitor who present as son, grandson and great-grandson of Opel employees.
Opel CEO Florian Huettl speaks on the occasion of the brand’s 125th anniversary on June 8, 2024 in Ruesselsheim, western Germany (AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)
The German brand, purchased from General Motors by Peugeot-Citroën in 2017, in the fold of the Stellantis group since 2021, is now adopting its electrification strategy. Sales climbed 15% in 2023, with a 13% share for electric vehicles.
Holding his daughter by the hand, Christian Müller, an engineer at Opel since 2010, walks through the anniversary exhibition. “The electric shift is an enormous and essential challenge for the future of our children,” he says.
– 1,500 km in Corsa –
For Opel boss Florian Huettl, there is no question of going backwards and the fall in sales of electric cars in Germany, with the end of purchasing aid, changes nothing. “The dynamic in France and England remains strong,” he assures AFP.
Some 8,300 people work today on the Russellsheim site, compared to 15,000 employees before the takeover by Stellantis.
“At Opel today there are fewer employees than five or six years ago. This is part of our competitiveness efforts. Beyond that, the transition to electric requires other qualifications in many areas. Opel helps with retraining or obtaining voluntary redundancy,” explains Mr. Huettl.
Employees on an Opel production line on June 8, 2024 in Ruesselsheim, western Germany (AFP/Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV)
Artem Shevchenko, 23, a Ukrainian aerial engineering student, came from Lithuania for the anniversary, traveling 1,500 km in his Opel Corsa to visit the land of Adam Opel, founder of the brand which began by making sewing machines and bikes.
“It was my dream to come here,” admits this fan. “The models have all the features of a luxury car, at an affordable price, for real people!” he exclaims.
With the transition to electric, the brand wants to try to sell entry-level products for the general public, promising a model around 25,000 euros, without revealing its release date.
© 2024 AFP
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