General Motors is currently considering a return to Europe, according to an agency report, with only electric cars going on sale. The plans are probably very concrete, with specific models already being mentioned. However, it is not clear when a decision will be made.
According to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, GM is considering exporting the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq to Europe first. The company is also considering selling the electric Hummer in Europe.
A GM spokesperson did not deny the plans when asked by Bloomberg. But he indicated that no final decisions had been made yet – he also did not give a time frame for a decision.
It had already become apparent that GM was considering a return to Europe on a larger scale: In November 2021, Cadillac’s then vice president for North American sales, Mahmoud Samara, was tasked with preparing to resume operations in Europe. “Europe is the second largest and fastest growing electric vehicle market in the world, presenting a significant opportunity as GM is about to roll out its comprehensive and cutting-edge EV and AV portfolio along with new and innovative software, autonomous technology and freight and logistics services.”
General Motors had sold its mass-market Opel and Vauxhall brands to what is now Stellantis Group in 2017, in part because of strict emissions regulations in the European Union – something that would of course no longer be a problem if it returned with electric cars. Currently, GM only sells the Corvette sports car and some Cadillacs in manageable numbers in Europe; the group is currently not active with volume brands.
The distribution of these models is organised by an export company in Switzerland. The sale of the electric vehicle models from US production could also take place via traditional distribution. According to Bloomberg, however, GM is also considering founding a “mobility start-up in Europe”. However, details on this and which alternative sales models are part of the considerations do not emerge from the report.
Both the Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV are based on the Ultium platform. The Hummer EV was the first Ultium vehicle delivered to customers in December. Series production of the Lyriq electric SUV has been underway in Tennessee since March. Cadillac plans to introduce only new electric cars from now on, and the brand will be all-electric by the end of the decade. The Hummer has been offered exclusively as a BEV since its comeback.
Keyword: GM to mobilize electric sales in Europe