We thought we would never see General Motors again in Western Europe after the sale of Opel/Vauxhall to PSA in 2017 and the official withdrawal of the Chevrolet brand – except for the very sporty Corvette and Camaro.
But since the European authorities have recorded the end of thermal engines from 2035 in favor of electrification, the situation has changed. Some countries, like Norway, did not wait for this deadline to promote electric vehicles, becoming test markets for many manufacturers wishing to launch their electric models. In addition to Norway, we can cite Sweden, Denmark and Finland, not forgetting the Netherlands and Germany. Chinese manufacturers have understood the interest of being present in force on the side of the Nordic countries, and GM also intends to bite into this huge cake.
Jaclyn McQuaid, president of GM Europe. © General Motors
Thus, in an interview with Automotive News EuropeJaclyn McQuaid, President of GM Europe, confirmed that “the automaker would start selling all-electric cars in Europe in the fall“without specifying”GM’s target markets in Europe“. For his part, an anonymous source familiar with the matter indicated that the Nordic countries would constitute a beachhead for the vehicles of the GM group.
No Chevy Bolt
Regarding the models that will be marketed, General Motors did not provide any details. What is acquired, however, is the non-marketing of the Bolt electric city car, the drafting of which Digital had the chance to test the first cousin, the Opel Ampera-e. This is related to the fact that production of the Bolt will cease at the end of the year. Indeed, the new electric vehicles of the brands of the GM group are based on a new dedicated platform called Ultium.
We could therefore see on the roads of Northern Europe the Cadillac Lyriq SUV as well as the Chevrolet Equinox and Blazer EV, both compact crossovers. As for the import of the Hummer EV and the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV pick-ups, nothing has yet been decided, knowing that these XXL vehicles are aimed at a niche market. However, the recent success of the Ford F150 Lightning in Norway could give GM executives food for thought.
Additionally, GM is considering importing electric models from China, including the recently released Buick Electra E5 SUV.
According to the website Automotive Newswhich is based on figures from analyst firm Dataforce, GM sold 143 Cadillacs and 221 Chevrolets (including a majority of Corvettes) in Europe during the first quarter of 2023.
A departure from Europe that left its mark
The return of General Motors (GM) to Europe next fall is likely to rekindle some resentment. We can cite the lawsuits brought by the former distributors of Chevrolet France, with whom commercial relations had been abruptly severed.
But the most embittered are surely the aficionados of the Saab brand, Swedish politicians in the lead. They accuse GM of having simply killed the brand by refusing to transfer its technology to Chinese investors as part of the acquisition of the manufacturer. It will be interesting to watch the reaction of the Swedish government and its people to such a comeback…