OPEL ABANDONS PLANS TO PHASE OUT INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES

RUSSELSHEIM, AUGUST 28 /SRNA – RIA Novosti/ - German carmaker Opel has abandoned plans to completely phase out the production of cars with internal combustion engines, despite record growth in demand for electric vehicles in Germany, the company’s CEO, Florian Huettl, said.

“There is no new fixed date for ending production. Our customers will decide that, and it will vary from market to market,” Huettl told the Welt newspaper.

He said that the share of electric cars in the German market had already exceeded 30 percent in June, while the main incentive for consumers was a sharp rise in petrol prices in Germany.

“When a litre of petrol costs 2.50 euros, we immediately feel the effect in the form of a direct increase in demand,” Huettl stressed.

In 2021, Opel management announced plans to completely phase out the production of cars with internal combustion engines in Europe by 2028.

However, the company adjusted its strategy last year and decided to keep such vehicles in its lineup.