Opel to Use PSA Engine Thousands of Workers Face Unemployment

According to foreign media reports, after PSA Group acquires and reorganizes Opel, it may stop the development and production of most of Opel's engines, which may affect the work of thousands of assembly workers and R&D engineers.

Gilles Le Borgne, head of PSA's chief research and development, told the sister magazine of Automobilwoche-European Automotive News that "the company will gradually start using the PSA platform and engine for the Opel model line. This change will not happen overnight, or it will take several years to complete.Some Opel engines may soon be suspended.On August 12, 2017, PSA purchased Opel from GM.A few days later, PSA and Opel The experts met for the first time and discussed the development of the engine, and Gilles Le Borgne stated: “At this point, all of PSA’s on-sale engines are compounding the regulatory requirements of each market, and the company will ensure that the Opel engine does the same. ”

Regarding whether to continue to use and how to use the current Opel engine in the future, Gilles Le Borgne stated that it is currently to be determined: “The company has not yet reached a conclusion. It is clear that it is absolutely necessary to greatly improve the efficiency of Opel from all aspects, and the latter can learn from PSA's own reorganization experience. For this reason, the company hopes that each new model will have a synergy effect in the future."

At the same time, paying royalties and royalties to General Motors, the original Opel parent company, is also a key issue. Gilles Le Borgne stated: "We hope to pay all costs related to business licenses as soon as possible."

Peter Fintl is the Head of Technology and Innovation at the German subsidiary Altran, a French research and development service provider. The company works closely with PSA and he understands PSA's technical strategy. Fintl said: "PSA does not require Opel's traditional technology. Because the two automotive companies are on the same level, after the introduction of PSA technology, Opel platform is likely to gradually withdraw."

However, Opel also ushered in new opportunities for development. Fintl said: "It will be interesting to see how PSA and General Motors have reached consensus on the use of GE and fuel cells.

test Center

The termination of the Opel engine R&D and production will affect the R&D center in Ruesselsheim, Germany and a parts factory in Kaiserslautern, Germany, the Tychy factory in Poland, and the Hungarian St. Szentgotthard and the Austrian Aspern factory.

Opel had invested 210 million euros in Ruesselsheim, Germany, to build a new R&D and test center for the development of engines and transmissions. The test center was just put into operation last October and has 800 engineers.

When asked if PSA still needed the test center, PSA CEO Carlos Tavares said that the decision was not beyond his control. He said: "If the government prohibits the use of internal combustion engines, then as the president of the company, I must follow the regulations."

Carlos Tavares said that it is not yet clear if PSA still needs 3,000 Opel engineers. So far, these engineers are mainly engaged in the General Motors project. A PSA spokesman said that in the future, all Opel models equipped with PSA components must be adjusted and tested, which means that a large number of R&D engineers are required.

According to Gilles Le Borgne, “All Opel models were developed in Rüsselsheim, Germany. PSA does not plan to re-develop the Opel model. The company will establish a well-defined competency centers, but it is not yet available. Decide whether to still build the competence center in Russelsheim, Germany."